


Avatar: Era of Izuku, Book 1: Earth

by OP_Taipan



Series: Avatar: Era of Izuku [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: (technically) - Freeform, Animal guide, Badgermoles, Earthbending, Gen, Midoriya Izuku is a Dork, Midoriya Izuku is the Avatar, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Things will escalate quickly, avatar animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:14:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 120,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25882675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OP_Taipan/pseuds/OP_Taipan
Summary: For all intents and purposes, Izuku Midoriya is just a normal kid. He has two loving parents, he has what appears to be a simple earth controlling quirk, and he got an All-Might merch collection that would cause even Sir Nighteye to be impressed. And people might buy it, if not for the fact that Izuku tends to disappear off somewhere for hours on end, his quirk acts in the most bizarre ways sometimes, and let us not forget the giant Badger monster he keeps for a pet.
Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Jirou Kyouka & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Hisashi & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Hisashi/Midoriya Inko, Midoriya Inko & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Animal guide
Series: Avatar: Era of Izuku [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878184
Comments: 44
Kudos: 221





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Tai here and welcome to Avatar: Era of Izuku.
> 
> To be honest, I've been planning on posting this story on the site for almost a year now, but I didn't do anything about it.
> 
> Until Today!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!  
> P.S: The first few chapters might be a bit bad, I might rewrite them when I got the time.

* * *

**序幕**

PROLOGUE:

**REBORN**

* * *

_July 15th, 184 A.Q._

_For many, this day held no real significance in the course of their lives or history.  
It was during the peak of All Might's golden age in Japan; his first duel with his nemesis, All for One, an entire decade into the future.  
Japan was flourishing under that peace, the citizens enjoying it while the people in power were celebrating the diminishing influence All for One had over the country thanks to their Hero's efforts._

_The world itself seemed to take a break that day._

_No major villain attacks in any country._

_No natural disaster._

_Not anything worth of note for the average person._

_Save for a few, the entire planet was unaware that day marked the beginning of a New Era..._

_An Era the likes of which can only be remembered by the oldest and wisest of the Spirits._

Exempt from 'The re-rise of the Avatar, The life story of Avatar Izuku' by Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.

* * *

** Location: U.A High school, Japan **

"Huh?", An elderly woman hummed once she noticed something from her plethora, almost making her pen slip from her grip.  
Putting down the pen on her desk, Recovery girl dropped from her chair and walked towards the window, poking her head out.

"Weird, I could've sworn I saw-"

"Chiyo, is something wrong?" A feminine voice called out from behind her.

Recovery girl turned around to face the voice, finding a woman that appeared to be in her early fifties. Her shoulder-length ash-blonde hair was slicked back  
and no faults could be found in her pristine dark suit.  
A pearl neckless was hanged around the woman's neck, the only sign of individuality in her appearance.

"Oh, hello Kaichi." The elderly woman greeted U.A's current principal, "Nothing is wrong, I just thought I saw something fly by."

"A bird?" The principal raised a brow, "Hardly something to drop everything and come look over, no?"

"No, no, it wasn't a bird... At least I don't think so..." Chiyo shook her head and before deciding to drop the subject. "Anyway, how can I help you, principal?"

"Ah, yes!" Kaichi nodded, "I was looking at the plans for the final exams for the first years. I think we might need to lower the difficulty of it a bit;  
unless you want to have enough patients to not only warrant that renovation to the infirmary that you requested but also the construction of an entirely new one."

"As tempting of an offer as that may be..." Recovery girl held a perfect poker face as she talked, "I think I'll pass."

"I figured as much." Kaichi chuckled, "But I still needed to be sure, we'll hold a meeting tomorrow where we will decide on the exact course for the finals. Until then, have a nice day!"

And with that, the principal left the infirmary, leaving the elderly woman alone. _'I'm going to miss her when she leaves next year. I wonder who the new principal will be...'_

With the 'bird' forgotten, Recovery girl made her way back to her desk and returned to read through her files, completely missing the bright blue spirit that flew by her window again.

* * *

** Location: Amundsen-Scott research station, South Pole **

"Mei! Come here quick! You gotta see this!"

"Huh?" Mei-Ling-Zhou, a short woman with brown hair that was held in a bun and square glasses, turned away from her computer, "What is it Opara?"

Opara - a large man with dark skin, stubble-like beard, and rounded glasses with tiny lenses - didn't even turn to look at her, his face glued to the window and staring outside with an expiration of absolute awe.

Curious, Mei decided to join her fellow scientist and peered out the window.

Her jaw dropped to the floor, "Wha-What is this..."

Up above in the night sky of Antarctica, rays and arcs of light were visible.  
Snakes of luminescence twisted across the sky, their blue and green glow weaving together to overpower the light of the stars, demanding the complete attention of any possible observer.

"I-I don't know..." Opara murmured, "I never saw anything like this... I never **heard** of anything like this..." **[1]**

"Do you realize what this means?" Mei asked, shaking in her place from excitement.

"This could very well be the discovery of the century..." Opara murmured, following Mei's train of thought.

"Too bad no one's gonna care..." Opara and Mai heard a voice behind them, seeing their ginger co-worker Macready, "Everybody's too busy gawking about quirks and quirkologists to mind what **real** scientists do."

* * *

** Location: Fukuoka prefecture, Japan **

A tall, muscular young man sat in a perfect lotus position under the shade of a wooden pavilion in his garden.

His pale grey hair ruffled gently in the calm breeze that swept the gardens, gently flowing in between the trees and bushes; above the small pond, and under the roof of the pavilion.

The man breathed in, his eyes closed as he tapped onto the branches that connect all living things, looking beyond the material world.

" ***Gasp*** "

The man took a quick intake of breath, his closed eyes opening wide in his surprise.

"The balance has shifted..."

* * *

** Location: Unnamed swamp, India **

The swamp was a place humans seldom visited.  
With its' rough terrain, dangerous fauna, and all but complete remoteness it provided the ideal shelter for those who wished to stay away from humanity.

And who wished for this distance more than the spirits?

Spirits had inhabited the swamps for longer than humanity could remember, watching from the sidelines as men built cities and destroyed them; waging war on one another; killing one another; slowly killing the planet, one carbon-dioxide atom at a time.

The spirits had no reason to be happy in their shelter, watching humanity's fall from grace from afar, knowing it would one day catch up to them.

Yet, today, the spirits rejoiced and cheered together when they felt the energy of the planet shift, giving them hope - if only the slightest - for the first time in millennia.

 **They** were back.

* * *

** Location: Unknown **

"It... CAN'T BE!" A large man with short, white hair ground his teeth together, clenching his fists so hard he drew blood, staining his black suit.

"M-master?" A short, bald man wearing a lab coat turned to the enraged man, his large mustached shaking in fear from the aura he felt from his boss. "What happened? Is something bothering you?"

The large man did not show a single sign he heard his subordinate, as if he was trapped in an endless spire of thoughts, _'This isn't possible, it **shouldn't** be possible! They were gone for thousands of years! Why show up again now?! DAMMIITTTT!'_

"GARAKI!" All for One shouted, causing Garaki to stand in attention. "Start contacting every ally we ever made in every country possible! There is something we need to take care of before it is too late!"

Kyudai Garaki's jaw was on the floor. He never saw his master distressed, not even once. But now All for One wasn't just distressed... he was full-on panicked! ' _What on Earth could make him act this way?!'_

 _'We need to find **it** as soon as possible; I can't let **it** become fully realized...' _All for One twirled his fingers together, a habit he thought he kicked a century ago _. 'But how can I search the entire planet for **it** in such a short amount of time?'_

* * *

** Location: Hero Public Safety Commission H.Q, Japan **

"My, my... that's quite the development" A rodent-like Chimera sipped on a warm china cup of tea, savoring its flavor as he aimlessly watched the light-blue sky from his office.

"Life sure is full of surprises!" Nezu chirped to himself, his reflection in the window staring back, "First, I'm going to be U.A's next principle, and now this!"

The quirked animal let out a soft sigh, smiling gently to himself. "To think... I would get to witness the Avatar's return in my lifetime..."

* * *

** Location: Musutafu general hospital, Japan **

A young man in his late twenties looked at a small bundle of blankets like it was the most important thing in the world.  
Unshed tears were gleaming in the man's eyes, threatening to drip on his freckled cheeks as his curly and wild black hair ruffled itself from his shaking. In one of his hands, he held a small handheld camera, recording the event in front of him as if he was **petrified** of the thought of forgetting even a second of it.

"This is our son... Inko this is our son!" He murmured, disbelieving, for the hundredth time, tears poking the way out of his eyes.

His wife, Inko, merely smiled gently back at her husband.  
The woman looked like a mess, her eyebags had eyebags that had eyebags of their own after seventy-two hours in labor. Her hair was disheveled and messy, almost competing with her husband's even though usually her hair was as smooth as silk.

But she didn't care about it right now.

Not one bit.

She stared at the bundle of blankets in her arms with all the love in the world, looking straight at the baby who was nuzzled there gently, sleeping peacefully.

Even if the baby boy wasn't held by one of his parents, if one were to look at the kid and then at the two adults, they would be able to infer immediately that he was their son.  
The boy's face was almost an exact copy of his mother's.  
His cheeks were round and chubby, almost urging his mother to pinch them and wake him up. His small nose matched her's perfectly, slightly twitching with every slow intake of breath he took. And while they were closed, the baby's eyes were noticeably round, almost like that of a puppy.  
A soft tuft of fluffy green hair had already grown on the boy's scalp, a clear trait from his father who still fought off bursting into tears.  
Small and pale freckles dotted the baby's cheeks, as well as the bridge of his nose, the darkest of which were in a diamond formation on each of his cheeks.

***Thud***

***Thud***

***Thud***

***Thud***

The sound of hurried footsteps made its way to the hospital room the family occupied, soon followed by the door being torn open abruptly and four people in their fifties stepping in.

**"Where is my grandbaby?!"**

Each of them whispered-yelled darting their heads from one corner of the room to the other before their eyes landed on the baby held in his mother's arms.

Inko held her finger in front of her lips, a frown on her face. _"Shhhh! Mom! Dad! Not so loud! You might wake him up!"_

The new grandparents didn't show any sign they heard her, though they did quiet down as they approached the baby and his mother.

"He looks just like you dear..." Inko's mother cooed at her grandson, brushing a finger gently against one of his freckled cheeks.

"Figures that once the four of us went to get some food you'd give birth..." Hisashi's father mock-grumbled, a small smile on his face as he too focused entirely on the baby.

"Hisashi, drop the camera and hold your son for a bit, you're his father..." Hisashi's mother chided her son, who almost lost his grip on the camera upon being called out.

The new father handed the camera to his father-in-law before he approached his wife and scooped up the small bundle of blankets from her, sitting on the bed at her side.

Every adult nearly burst out and squealed when the baby's eyes fluttered open, revealing irises the same emerald color as the mother while having the same jewel-like shape as his father.

"Hi there, Izuku..." His father cooed in a gentle voice, extending a finger to brush against his cheek like his mother-in-law did.

The baby, Izuku, had other plans.

***Grab***

Chubby and tiny hands wrapped themselves around the extended finger, the baby staring at it as if it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

"Ohhhh... Inko! He's holding my hand!" Hisashi squeaked, tears free-falling from his eyes, "He's holding my hand Inko!"

The Midoriya family spent the rest of the day cooing at its new addition, not at all aware of how many gears began to turn due to his birth.

* * *

**[1]: The Aurora: As explained in the original series, the Aurora in the Avatar world is a by-product of the spirits, having no connection to the way Aurora appears in real life. This is also canon to the Era of Izuku universe. In other words, in this universe, humanity hadn't experienced the Aurora ever.**


	2. Book 1 chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Tai here and welcome back to Avatar: Era of Izuku.
> 
> A huge thank you to both 41ternative and GlennStarguard who have beta-read the chapter. Thank you both for your amazing work! I don't think the chapter would have approached the level it is now without your help.
> 
> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER ONE:

**IN THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN**

* * *

As the afternoon sun shone through the treetops of the forest during this late spring day, one could already feel the earliest signs of summer.

The stunning blue skies were dotted here and there with white puffy clouds and the plant life of the forest was as green as the clearest Jade.

If one were to take a glance at the forest at this time, they would think of this piece of land, illuminated by the slightly stronger than usual sunlight, as the very definition of untouched Japanese nature.

Then again, that is the case if they only took a glance.

Should said person pause for a second longer, they would notice tiny footprints on the slightly drenched ground. Now, assuming said person got curious and tried to inspect his surroundings, he would begin to hear something beyond the chirping of birds and the rasps of cicadas.

They would hear the crying of a child.

Said child is currently walking alone through the forest sobbing softly as he clutches his chest in pain. Nostrils blocked from his extensive crying, the child attempts breathing through his mouth; only to start hiccupping for a moment before continuing whipping.

The short-for-his–age kid has dark green curly hair which is so messy that it casts shadows over his head, creating the illusion of black hair with green highlights. Other than his larger than life hair though, which is his most prominent feature, most would describe the kid's face as somewhat plain-looking. His usually round and shining emerald eyes are currently puffy and red from crying, tear stains adore his freckled cheeks, and dust can be seen smeared all over his roundish face.

The kid's clothes are not in much better shape. His signature red high-tops shoes are dirty with mud and his bright yellow shirt is drenched, much like his blue shorts, and got a hole singed in it where a giant red 'M' is supposed to be.

As the kid, also known as Izuku Midoriya, walks through the forest, he stumbles on a rock and falls on his knees. Hands grasping the ground, he can't help but think about how he got into this situation.

_'_ _w-why... why was Kacchan so mean? '_ As little Izuku kept kneeling on the ground, hand grasping at it in frustration he remembers his 'friend's' words.

_^ "_ _DEKU! I DON'T REMEMBER ASKING FOR HELP FROM A GOOD-FOR-NOTHING QUIRKLESS NOBODY LIKE YOU, AND I'M SURE AS HELL DON'T NEED IT, DEKU!" ^_

* * *

It all began in Keikei city in China, centuries ago. When a bio-luminescent baby was born.

The news shocked the world and before long, more and more people with 'exceptional' powers began popping up all over the planet. Even now, we still don't know the catalyst to it all.

But the fact is, it happened.

And now … the exceptional became normal.

As more and more people began showing signs of having these unique abilities dubbed as quirks, the world fell to disarray.

These gifted individuals were left unchecked and did as they pleased and soon enough society became a place of horror, a place where no one was safe. As anarchy rose and law enforcement and even armies were left unable to do anything, people began to rise up. These brave souls risked their lives going against the law and eventually won the support of the public, solidifying their places as legal protectors of justice.

Those people were the first Pro-Heroes, the most sought after future career any child dreamed of one day becoming a part of. After all, no other profession existed where one could use his quirk legally in public.

I was one of those hopeful children, dreaming about this future. Waiting impatiently for the day my own quirk would manifest so I too could begin my journey towards heroism.

* * *

"Mom! The computer!"

An eccentric Izuku is currently jumping in his chair excitedly, addressing his mother, Inko Midoriya.

If a person were to compare the two Midoriyas, they would be able to tell immediately that the two were related. The young boy was basically a carbon copy of his mother in terms of features after all.

They shared the same round-like face, though in Izuku's case it might be baby-fat, same roundish eyes and nose and both of them could probably light up anyplace with how positive their presence was.

The only differences between the two were Inko's slightly darker shade of hair and eyes as well as her lack of freckles and curly hair.

The Midoriya matriarch sighed fondly." Izuku, I think you're responsible for tens of thousands of this video's views by yourself."

After Inko finished setting up the video, she made her way out of her son's room while addressing him one last time. "It's a little too scary for mommy to watch".

Izuku, on the other hand, didn't pay attention to his mother in the least. All of his attention was focused on the video playing on the screen.

The scene the computer showed was a scene of a disaster...or more accurately the aftermath of one.

Amongst burning wreckage, a man was recording what would become the event that symbolized the start of a new age in Japanese heroics.

The age of All Might.

"ARE YOU SEEING THIS?"

"HE'S ALREADY SAVED A HUNDRED PEOPLE! AND IT'S ONLY BEEN TEN MINUTES SO FAR! WOW!"

As the witnesses were commenting in amazement about the situation, a silhouette appeared on top of the wreckage. With shadows hiding it, it was impossible to recognize the deformed shape of the figure as human.

**"** **HA HAHA HA HA"** The familiar voice rang to Izuku, making him excited.

As the silhouette stepped into the light, it revealed a man adorned in a colorful custom. Said man was carrying at least a dozen injured civilians on his back toward safety and smiling all the while, flashing said smile for the world to see.

"AND HE'S SMILING"

The people who were watching were gobsmacked. How can anyone, even a hero, **smile** in this situation?

The hero was giving off an aura unlike anything these people ever felt, giving a sense of security and comfort which exclaimed that everything will be fine. This presence was so powerful that even Izuku, who was watching the events as a recording on his computer countless times, felt its full presence and was awed every time he watched it.

As the video was nearing its end, Izuku knew the best part was almost here. The moment where All Might proclaimed his now trademark catchphrase for the first time.

**"** **HAVE NO FEAR! WHY, YOU ASK? THAT'S BECAUSE…"**

**"…** **I AM HERE"** The blonde muscular beast of a man shouted, his shout enticing an excited squeak out of the boy.

Those words always struck a chord within Izuku. As his already impossibly large smile got even wider, a sense of awe, wonder, and above all else… determination washed over him like no other.

And Izuku wasn't the only one. The entire nation of Japan idolized All Might for the hero he was.

There was no other hero in known history who could match him.

He is everything a hero **should** be.

With his mighty strength, All Might have brought a new era of peace in Japan. Ever since he entered the scene, crime rates have been receding until an all-time low was achieved. His very existence became a deterrent for every villain and an immovable pillar of support on which the people of Japan could lean on.

Thanks to his achievements he was known both in name and reality as the 'Symbol of peace'.

But while most people his age were focused on his herculean strength, Izuku saw something else within the hero. Something that mattered to, and inspired, him far more than any kind of power.

This thing was the very spirit of All Might.

Saving people's lives with a smile on his face.

Reassuring them that everything will be alright.

Protecting the peace and working to guide society towards a better future.

All of these things called out to Izuku. The moment the concept was introduced to the boy through All Might himself, he **knew** that this was his calling in life. Izuku could not picture himself doing anything else and he didn't **want** to do anything else. He wanted to be just like All Might, and because of this, he began to idolize the hero.

"HE'S SO COOOOOOL! WHEN I GET MY QUIRK…"

"…I WANNA BE JUST LIKE HIM!"

As Izuku began laughing in imitation of his idol, he failed to notice his mother watching him from the doorway with a worried look in her eyes.

However, shortly after this day one revelation crushed upon me and nearly broke me… In just one sentence…

* * *

"That will not happen, you'd better give up."

These words were uttered apathetically by the mustached quirk doctor, not caring at all on the impact it might have on the boy.

As for Izuku, his eyes widened and a stunned expression embellished his face. The boy seemed to shut down and became unresponsive, completely forgetting he even had his All Might figure in hand and let it fall to the ground.

"N-no! T-there really is something wrong with him?!", Inko asked as she tried the pat her son's back to get him to respond." The other children in his kindergarten have all had a manifestation of their quirk show up by now, but my son i- "

Before she had a chance to finish the doctor cut her off," Please excuse me for interrupting you, madam. But both you and your husband are quirk users, correct? ".

The woman nodded in response as she extended her hand and pulled Izuku's toy towards her." Yes, I am. I can pull small objects towards me and my husband can breathe fire.".

The doctor hummed before pulling out an X-ray and hanging it on the board to the family's right." As far as we know, a child's quirk should manifest by the age of four at the latest. Sometimes, the quirk manifests itself later than usual, about a few months after the child's fourth birthday, b-".

At this, Izuku's features brightened up a bit." D-does that mean there's still a chance for me t-to develop a quirk?!", Izuku all but yelled. He almost couldn't believe it … There was still a chance for him!

"Unfortunately, no" The doctor's dismissal caused the light to leave Izuku's eyes once again.

"You see…", the doctor pointed towards the X-ray but only Inko turned to look. "While we still don't know much about their origins or quirks themselves, quirk research had still allowed us to figure out a few things." As the doctor walked towards the X-ray of Izuku's foot he pointed at the pinky toe.

" A quirk is more than just a power. With the power itself, the body develops different traits and mechanisms to actually make it work as well to be able to wield it." The doctor glanced at Inko to see if she is following, which she was. He had gotten tired of giving a lecture to people who don't listen.

" These traits along with the power itself have a collective term called the 'quirk factor'. While there are different types of quirk factors that do different things, every quirk user has a quirk factor. Now the quirk factor develops within a child's body and the process is usually completed by four years of age, allowing for the quirk to first awaken. Though there are instances of a person having a quirk at birth, such as mutant types, and…"

Realizing he was getting off track the doctor shook his head and went back to the topic at hand, "Of course, the quirk factor doesn't come from anywhere and is produced by the body with the instruction given by a special gene that is present in a person's DNA. This gene has been observed to have a side effect, it slightly inhibits the production of Chondrocytes. They are one of the cells that comprise the joints within a fetus' body while he is in the wom- "

Before the doctor could continue he was interrupted by Inko, "Don't you use these terms near a child!" she cried out, covering the unresponsive child's ears. The doctor scratched his bald head sheepishly before stammering "R-right s-sorry, I got carried away there.".

The doctor cleared his throat before continuing, "A-anyway, because of the shortage in the cells, the body doesn't produce all of its joints; skipping on creating the second pinky toe deeming it unnecessary. In other words, if a person has two joint in his/her pinky toe he or she won't manifest a quirk." As the doctor's speech was nearing its conclusion he gestures toward Izuku to deliver one final line, "Meaning he possesses no quirk at all ".

I felt the weight of those words on me as they were uttered. Rampant thoughts soon coursed through my mind, creating chaos within myself that had no end in sight.

'I-I don't have a quirk' Izuku uttered in his head, struggling to wrap his mind around the notion 'That can't be right… How can I become a hero without a quirk?!'. The young child entered a panic within his head, trying to convince himself that hope was not lost to him 'Every hero has a quirk! Endeavor has a quirk; Best Jeanist has a quirk and All Might has one too! I'm gonna be a hero just like them! So I gotta have a quirk! … Right…? '

Completely ignoring the fact that the doctor could have saved a lot of time should he just Said the second-to-last sentence and finish with his explanation, Inko asked another question." B-but why!?, both me and Hisashi have quirks, why shouldn't Izuku have one too?".

The doctor took a deep breath, preparing himself for another explanation," While normally the parents should indeed pass down the gene for their child, which enables saithe d child to develop one of his parents' quirks or a combination of the two, in Izuku's case it appears that there has been a sort of mutation. Neither you nor your husband has passed down to him the gene that will allow him to develop a quirk."

Not wanting to hear any other protest or a demand from the woman for a more detailed explanation, the doctor prevented any further question by his final sentence." I know that this must be upsetting for you, but that's how things are in this world we live in. Some people are just born luckier than others, nothing else to it.".

Yes, not all men are created equal. In this world we live in, that's just a fact. A fact I learned that day at the tender age of four…

… The day my story began.

* * *

At the Midoriya apartment, late at night. Izuku could be found in his dark room watching the same video that always inspired him.

"AND HE'S SMILING"

As the video kept playing Izuku stared at the screen, his face blank.

"M-mom…"

He called his mother who just entered his room to check on him, concerned for her son's well-being after the trip to the doctor.

As Inko approached him he continued," N-n-no matter w-what kind of t-trouble you're in…", Izuku spoke with a trembling voice. Stopping to swallow the lump in his throat he took another moment before continuing," H-he'll c-come save you w-with a smile.".

Izuku slowly swiveled with his chair to face his mother, by doing so Inko saw his tear-filled-face and broken look. As the Midoriya matriarch tried to swallow the lump that formed in **her** throat, tears already building up, her son uttered one sentence which broke her dam.

"C-can I be a cool hero like him? E-even if I don't have a q-quirk?"

And just like that, Inko broke. Waterworks at full power, she ran into her crying son and hugged him with all the strength her muscles allowed, sobbing herself.

"I'm so sorry Izuku! I'm so, so sorry!"

Besides her rampant apologies and the sounds of crying, no other sound graced the halls of the Midoriya abode that night. As if the city itself understood the weight and tragedy of the moment and silenced itself to give it the proper respect it deserved.

No, mom… back then those weren't the words I wanted to hear…

It was on that day that I decided to make a vow, to keep pushing onward despite what everyone said. No matter what, I vowed that I wouldn't care about anything that anyone says….

…But that did not mean their words hurt any less…

* * *

The next day, Izuku was back in kindergarten. Still reeling from the revelations of the prior day, he attempted to distract himself with the toys that laid about.

As the children were all brought in by their parents for the day, one child heard what his mother said to another parent "Have you heard? Inko's son turned out to be quirkless."

The other adult gasped in surprise, not at all familiar to the situation, "quirkless?! Is that still a thing?! I thought that there weren't any in japan by now!".

The other woman nodded in understanding, not aware herself of this before she did some research." I know, I was surprised too so I did some research. It turns out that Japan has one of the lowest percentages of quirkless people in the world. While the global total percentage is still at 20%, in some countries, like Japan, quirkless people might as well be a myth. Because of that, some counties have quirkless people as the majority."

As the unnamed mother finished her lecture they both turned to look at Izuku with eyes full of pity. "Poor little guy," the man whispered "to not have what everyone else take for granted. I'm getting afraid he won't fit in with his classmates".

The woman nodded before throwing her own two cents in "While it's true that he's childhood might be a little rough, he'll get through it. The entire society has turned its back to quirks anyways, only heroes use them legally these days. Once he becomes a grown-up, most won't think that much about his quirklessness. The only people he will have to worry about are villains and quirk supremacists".

As the adults made their way out they failed to notice the child that heard everything, though because of the kid's young mind he didn't comprehend much of it. He did understand one thing however, the boy which was given the name Deku by Kacchan was quirkless and soon enough, every kid there knew it.

"Didja hear? Deku doesn't have a quirk."

"Right. He's quirkless."

"Sucks to be him!"

"I guess you really are useless, Deku."

Those were the words Izuku heard throughout that day while attempting to distract himself from the very same thing that the other children repeated for him to hear.

…Their words hurt all the same, whether I made that vow or not didn't change that.

The name Deku, which meant 'One who couldn't do anything' became the name I was known to all. First cemented by Kacchan and used only by our little group of friends. It soon became an insult which the entire kindergarten took to use.

All the more so after I stated that I still wanted to be a hero…

* * *

**Izuku Midoriya**

**Quirk: None.**

**Description: Izuku is Quirkless.**

**Appearance:** **Izuku is very short for his age, his round face framed by a short mess of fluffy dark green hair which sticks up at odd angles around his head, casting noticeably dark shadows onto itself. His eyes are large and somewhat circular, their irises the same green color as his hair, and are usually stretched quite wide, giving him an innocent appearance. Faded freckles dot the boy's cheeks as well as the bridge of his nose, the most notable of which is a set of four symmetrical ones in diamond formations, one on each cheek.**

**Affiliation: None.**

**Age: 4**

**Birthday: 15/7**

**Height: 80.4 cm.**

**Blood Type: O.**

**Favorite food: Katsudon.**

**Favorite thing: All Might.**

* * *

"All right kids, are you all ready to make new friends?" The caretakers asked the large group of kids in front of them. Said question was answered by a chorus of "Hai!" as all the kids were excited to meet the other kindergarteners.

Today was a special day for these kids. A caretaker in their kindergarten has a relative in another kindergarten's staff. Thus, the two family members, along with the other caretakers, had planned a collective play date between the two groups of children in the hopes of the kids bonding and having a good time.

"Okay, let's start with an introduction between you all." One of the lead caretakers, a woman with brown hair tied in a pony-tail, began the activity "Just say your name, quirk, and what you want to do when you grow up!" She exclaimed.

And so the introduction session began. Every kid told their name, showed off their quirk and shared with everyone their (hopefully) future career.

A girl with burgundy braided hair stepped up first. Izuku didn't know her so he guessed she was from the other kindergarten." H-hello!" she whispered meekly. "M-my name is Shisu Murasa. M-my quirk is telekinesis a-and I want to be a librarian when I grow up!". While she talked she took a book out of her backpack and begin levitating it, flipping through its pages telepathically.

The other children exclaimed in awe, but none more than Izuku. _'This is such a cool quirk'_ he thought while taking out a colorful children's notebook. Said notebook had the picture of a grassy meadow at the front, the words 'Hero analysis for the future' were written in a crude blue marker over the front picture.

As Izuku went through the pages, searching for a blank spot to write, he already began thinking about the implications of the telekinesis quirk _'What a cool quirk! A quirk like that is great for hero work! She could lift off rubble or throw it at villain_ _s_ _! But she said she wants to be a librarian, right...?_ _*inner mutter* *inner mutter* *inner mutter*'_

As Izuku went on with his inner muttering spree he continued to pay attention to the quirk explanations of his fellow children.

Next a kid with an even plainer face than Izuku and hay-like hair stepped forward.

" Heya! I'm Yubi Suto! My quirk lets me stretch my fingers and I'm gonna be a hero!".

After him, his chubby friend stepped up to introduce himself. "Hello, I'm Tsubasa Kairo! My quirk lets me grow red dragon wings on my back! I'm also gonna be a hero!"

That's how the introduction session went. Every kid stepped up and introduced themselves. More often than not the kids expressed their intention to be heroes and every time someone said so they were given words of encouragement from their peers and caretakers.

All the while Izuku furiously wrote down their quirk's information into his notebook and analyzed them erratically in his head. Eventually, his inner muttering evolved into a physical one, garnering himself the attention of every child and adult present.

One of the caretakers exclaimed, "Izuku- kun" to snap him out of his brainstorm. As the startled Izuku looked around he blushed at the attention he got from everyone and began trembling. Satisfied that Izuku was back to reality, the caretaker continued "Well why don't you introduce yourself Izuku- kun?"

Izuku only meekly nodded in response, knowing he doesn't have a choice he began his introduction. "H-hello e-everyone." He began and continued to stutter "M-my name is Midoriya Izuku, and I-…I-…I… "A lump had formed in Izuku's throat, preventing him from continuing. After swallowing his saliva, he let out the truth he'd been so hesitant to reveal while closing his eyes out of fear. Would they accept him? He had no idea, but he had to answer, he was on a time limit! "I'M QUIRKLESS!".

Everyone from the other kindergarten fell silent in surprise, while the ones from his own only scoffed at how long he was taking. Knowing he had only one thing left to say, and knowing what he wanted to say, Izuku steeled his nerves and concluded his introduction, once and for all. "...A-and, when I grow up...! I want to be a hero!"

Silence fell upon everybody. The children, much like the caretakers, were wide-eyed, surprised, and last but not least, 'entertained' at his attempt at hyping up his ambitions to be a hero. All the children burst into laughter, so loud that Izuku was blushing in embarrassment, as they all laughed, his face red as a tomato.

"Your joking?! Right?!"

"Seriously?! How can someone quirkless be a hero?!"

"Really, Deku? I think it's time you learned your place." Katsuki replied with a murderous tone, Izuku gulping.

All the while the teachers glanced at the quirkless kid, not even trying to encourage him as they did with all the others.

"Deku?" A girl from the other kindergarten had asked, curious. The other kindergarteners retorted with "Yeah! That's what we call him, since he can't do anything at all!" as a bunch of them shouted "Yeah!" and such.

"Hey, that fits really well!" One of the girl's friends entered the conversation. "It's decided, Midoriya!" The female shouted toward Midoriya. "You'll be 'Deku' from now on!" The girl said, hurting Izuku's feelings as all the other kindergarteners laughed.

" **De-ku! De-ku! DE-KU!** " they shouted together. Their shouts sounded like screams to Midoriya, their bullying getting to him.

As the other children chanted his derogatory nickname for the world to hear, Izuku began to tear up. Trying with all his might to not show the other children his tears, he soon lost the battle with the caretakers' words "Izuku- kun, maybe you should think of something else and we will return to you later, okay?". Despite the soft and reassuring tone that was used to deliver those words, they didn't convey the faith Izuku so desperately craved, daresay; Needed. He broke, as he began to cry in front of everyone and ran away from the gathering as fast as he can, tears welling up in his eyes faster than ever.

Despite all of this, heck, even EVERYTHING, I still hung around a group of my classmates which was led by Kacchan... Up until then, he was my best friend, and frankly, I wanted to be just like him…

…Then everything took a turn for the worse **that** day…

* * *

A group of children had marched through the forest with Izuku trying to tail them as another boy led them all.

Said leader was a boy who went by the name Katsuki Bakugou or 'Kacchan' by his group of friends. Bakugou was a child of average height but don't dare say that to him, for if the words 'Katsuki Bakugou' and 'average' were uttered in the same sentence without the word 'not' in between them, said spokesperson would suffer from Bakugou's infamous short-fused fury. The boy sported a head full of spiky ash-blonde hair which looked like someone blew a bomb in it as well as sharp and thin eyes with tiny red irises. The boy had a confident demeanor, fueled by the constant praise he was fed with his entire life. Not to mention he was the most popular and strongest kid in their kindergarten. To these children, Kacchan was an idol.

"March forward, Bakugou Hero Agency!" Bakugou demanded, his demands were met without a hitch, as it was followed by a "Yes, sir!" from his lackeys and Izuku.

"As the group marched through the forest, they came by a stream that was bridged by a fallen trunk. Stopping near the trunk, Bakugou turned around to face his men." Okay, Bakugou Hero Agency, for our next assignment we must cross this river to reach the villains' base! Are you all ready?".

The speech was soon greeted by a chorus of different answers.

"Yessir!"

"Alright! "

"Let's do this!"

"M-maybe we shouldn't do it, c-crossing that tree trunk looks dangerous!" Izuku's cracking tone caused everyone to turn around to look at him. Everyone glanced at him with exasperated looks, their looks, piercing through to his heart, as if he was a coward...Well, except Bakugou who just scowled at him.

One of the lackeys, Tsuba, looked at Izuku with a questioning look, as if he didn't know that Izuku was present, before saying with a mocking tone, "Figures that quirkless Deku will be too much of a coward to do this!" He exclaimed as everybody laughed at him.

"I-I'm not a coward!" Izuku protested. "Mom just said I shouldn't do stuff like this 'cause it's too dangerous!"

"HA! Well, mama's boy, why wouldn't you just go back to her if you're too scared to hang out with us!" Yubi joined the teasing that his winged friend had started.

Any further argument that could've started was soon halted by the leader of the group speaking. "If you don't want to be here Deku, then just go home and stop wasting our time! The Bakugou Hero agency's got an important mission to complete and I'm not gonna let one quirkless Deku stop us!".

With the conversation halted, Bakugou gestured to his lackeys to follow him on top of the trunk.

Izuku, realizing the danger of the act stayed put, not wanting to leave them… but also not wanting to climb on the trunk.

As Bakugou neared the center of the trunk he slipped and fell into the stream.

The chubby member of the group narrated the situation by saying out load "Kacchan fell in" which was followed by the more tactful comment of Yubi "Hey, Kacchan. You okay?!".

One second later, however, they remembered it was **the** Katsuki Bakugou they were talking about and brushed the fall aside, sure that he was fine.

"I bet he's fine. Kacchan's so strong." Tsubasa spoke with admiration in his voice. He was soon followed by Yubi who called Bakugou to join them "Get back up here, man."

And true to their assumptions Bakugou was completely fine aside from drenched clothes. As he was sitting in the stream scratching his head sheepishly while saying, "oh. Yeah, I'm okay…" Izuku ran down the hill to the stream and stretched out a hand towards Bakugou.

" Kacchan, do you need help? Can you stand?"

Izuku looked at the sitting form of Bakugou with nothing but worry in his eyes "You didn't hurt your head, did you? That would be bad.". As he said those words Bakugou's dumbfounded face morphed into one of fury, screaming in his head _'WHAT DOES THAT DEKU THINKS HE'S DOING?!'_.

Before Izuku Realized what had happened a bright, flame-like, flash of light appeared before him and he was forced into a sitting position in the stream by a powerful force. As the stream's water-drenched his clothes, muddy water spraying his face from the fall, the child could feel a burning pain in his chest. Looking down while beginning to tear up he sees that the big red M that used to decorate his yellow shirt is no more. Instead, a hole was burned through the shirt with the skin underneath it burned as well.

At this point, Izuku was fighting tears from the physical and emotional pain, trying not to appear weak in front of Kacchan, who is scowling down on the green-haired boy.

"DEKU! I DON'T REMEMBER ASKING FOR HELP FROM A GOOD-FOR-NOTHING QUIRKLESS NOBODY LIKE YOU, AND I'M SURE AS HELL DON'T NEED IT, DEKU!"

Bakugou's yell caused Izuku to look up and gaze at an unfamiliar sight. Kacchan was glaring at him with nothing but hatred, causing him to try and shrink into himself in fear.

…That's' how I found myself wandering alone through the forest. After the incident, Kacchan and his followers scoffed at me before going away, leaving me alone there.

As I left the stream alone, trying to find my way back and thoughts locked on the past, I was none the wiser to the revelation that was about to present itself to me.

A revelation that eventually led to me becoming who I am today…

Izuku, at this point, was struggling to keep himself from entering a breakdown in the middle of the forest. As he fought his tears, which were prodding from his closed eyelids, he clutched the rocky ground below him for dear life. The discouraging words that were said to him ever since he discovered his quirklessness all those months ago, were played on repeat in his head.

In Izuku's mind, he heard the wailing apologies of his mother, blaming herself for his quirkless status while repeatedly saying _^ "I'm so sorry Izuku! I'm so, so sorry!"_

_^._ He heard the apathetic words of the doctor who revealed to him his misfortune _^ "That will not happen, you'd better give up." ^_ As well as the constant teasing words his fellow children jabbed at him for several months. **Every. Single. Day.**

_^ "Deku doesn't have a quirk." ^_

_^ "He's quirkless." ^_

_^ "Seriously?! How can someone quirkless be a hero?!" ^_

_^ "Izuku- kun, maybe you should think of something else…" ^_

_^ "Really Deku, its time you learned your place" ^_

_^ "Sucks to be him" ^_

_^ "I guess you really are useless, Deku." ^_

Finally, as he was nearing his limit, hands starting to bleed from the force he was exerting and weird vibrations going through them - traveling towards the base of his spine through his back - the world around Izuku began to disappear.

The background around him became lost to the boy as one by one, the outside world disconnected from him. The whistling of the wind and sound of animals ceased. The feeling of his drenched clothes, as well as the heat of the sun, disappeared. The pollinated scent of the spring-time forest was gone and the metallic taste of the blood in his mouth from biting his cheeks was no more.

The only thing left that the distracted child could feel if he tried was the touch of the earth.

Though Izuku didn't notice it, the only thing his mind processed at that moment was the ground. The same ground that seemed to rumble together with his lower back-bone.

The lost-in-thought-child was unaware of the peculiarity of his situation due to his distress until finally, the words of his former best friend echoed through his mind, enticing him to act. _^"_ _DEKU! I DON'T REMEMBER ASKING FOR HELP FROM A GOOD-FOR-NOTHING QUIRKLESS NOBODY LIKE YOU, AND I'M SURE AS HELL DON'T NEED IT, DEKU!" ^_

*Thwoop! *

Finally, he snapped. Eyes still closed; he could feel his body moving, as if his hands were gliding on the ground. Curious about the sensation, he stopped his weeping and opened his eyes slowly.

The sight that greeted the boy was… a peculiar one, to say the least. His hands indeed slid across the ground and as they went, they dug through it like it was no more than mud. The boy looked in astonishment into the trenches his hands made through the solid ground, unable to form words or thoughts.

After the moment of silence, the stunned expression of the boy was replaced by the widest smile Izuku ever showcased. Once again he fell into tears, but this time he didn't fight them, for they weren't sad tears of despair. They were tears of utter joy, and hope! The boy was on cloud-nine as just one thought raced through his head 'I have a quirk … I have a quirk!? I HAVE A QUIRK!?'.

The boy, now brightened up by this discovery, began running out of the forest

Completely unaware of what the future holds for him.

I didn't know it at the time, but this discovery was much more impactful than I first realized…

…It was more than the discovery of the power that would've allowed me to achieve my dream...

…Because I forgot to mention something…

…This is **not** the story of how I achieved my childhood dream of being a hero…

…This is the story of how I became something greater **… MUCH** greater.

The story of how I became…

… The Avatar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S: Be prepared to wait because this story is a ssllooooowwww burn. It will take a while to get to U.A
> 
> Until next time... Tai out!


	3. Book 1 chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.
> 
> Also, a huge thank you to 41ternative for beta reading this chapter! Thanks to your hard work the story I publish turns out a lot better then what I had written originally.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER TWO:

**A QUIRKY POWER**

* * *

Izuku ran excitedly through the streets of his home neighborhood in Musutafu city. As he sprinted and cut through corners, the boy couldn't help but have just one thought running through his head. _'I HAVE A QUIRK! I gotta show this to mom!'_

Though in his haste and absent-mindedness due to his discovery, Izuku failed to notice the looks he received from the other pedestrians walking about. They look on in worry and confusion at the sight of the four-year-old that looks like a mess, as well as in a desperate need of medical attention for the burn on his chest.

However, the thing that amazes any person who Izuku passes on his way home is the kid's behavior. Izuku is completely ecstatic for a reason none of them can figure out. The boy appears to be so pleased that he ignores any pain that his burned chest **has got** to be in.

The familiar sight of his apartment complex came into Izuku's field of vision, pushing away any exhaustion he might have accumulated over his run home. With the desire to show his mother his new quirk, he bolts through the stairs and barges through the front door of the Midoriya apartment.

"MOM! MOM! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED!" in his excitement, Izuku didn't even bother to take off his shoes as he walked deeper into his home. Not finding his mother in the kitchen he attempts to look in the living room only to find it empty too. Turning around to face the hallway to continue his search, he finds himself tackled into a crushing hug by his mother.

"IZUKU! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" While the mother continued hugging her son, she failed to notice him fighting for air "When Tsubasa-san called me and said you were not with the other children when they came back from the forest I was so worried!".

Inko has changed a bit during the months since the doctor visit. The woman has gained a bit of weight in addition to little begs under her eyes as if she didn't get a good night's sleep in a while.

Eventually, Izuku's raspy voice managed to finds its way to Inko as he uttered "m-mom, a-air" and Inko somewhat managed to regain some of her senses. Managing to get herself off her son, she takes a closer look and notices the shape he is in.

Gazing into the injured and dirty form of her son, Inko once again began to scream in worry "IZUKU! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU ?!".

Looking himself over, Izuku finally remembers the shape he is in. And just like that all the pain and exhaustion from his injuries and trip back home catch up to him. Izuku clutched his burned chest in pain and breath erratically, obviously too winded to perform any sort of activity.

The worried mother guided Izuku to the small green couch that occupied their living room, to little protest as Izuku was too busy panting. After Izuku was heavily sat on the couch, his mother turned to him once more "You stay here while I bring something to patch you up!". Knowing there is no point to argue and not wanting to anyway, Izuku stays quiet and waits for his mom.

Once she found what she needs, Inko came back to her son. Taking off his ruined shirt to take a look at the injury, Inko Midoriya sets out to work. Beginning with cooling off the area and cleaning any lingering dirt with a wet towel, Izuku winced in pain at the contact before his mother addressed him. "So what happened Izuku?" Inko asks her son.

Knowing there is no escape from answering, he begins his story." Me and everyone were in the forest, playing heroes when we got to a stream with a tree above it an- "

Inko stops her son's story to ask an important question "Izuku! You didn't climb on it did you?!"

Hearing the question Izuku shakes his head in denial "No mom you said not to do something like that." The woman nods in acceptance before letting the kid continue. "I told Kacchan and the others not to go but they didn't listen and Kacchan fell i- "

Inko interrupted the story yet again, concerned for the child's well-being "Katsuki-Kun fell! Is he okay?!"

This time Izuku nods his head "He's okay, but when I went to help him he got angry and…*hiccup*… attacked me…" when he got to this part of the story Izuku began tearing up again.

Seeing the look on her son's face as she carefully applied lotion to the burn, trying not to break any blisters, Inko figured out what had happened. After she finished the treatment by bandaging the burn, she got on the couch and hugged her son as he finished his story.

"H-*sniff* -he yelled at me and said that he didn't need my help, did… did I do something wrong, mom?" Izuku concluded the story as tears were galling down his cheeks, breaking his mother's heart.

"No sweetie" she replied to assure him "You did nothing wrong. You acted like a true hero, Izuku".

At the mention of the word 'hero', Izuku perked up and remembered the events that followed the incident. Face visibly lighting up, he began talking to his mother again in a happy voice "Mom! I need to tell you something!".

Seeing Izuku's smile, Inko brightened up. But before she could listen to the other news she noticed the shape Izuku was in on top of his burn. "You're going to need to wait on that Izuku…" she cut off her son.

Izuku's face immediately changed its expression to one of confusion at the woman's words.

"You need a bath and a change of clothes. So why won't you take one while I clean up the mud you left around the house". Inko explained to her son, her voice taking on a scolding manner at the mention of the mess he made.

Blushing as he noticed how much he dirtied his home, Izuku took off his shoes and headed towards the bathroom. As he entered it he heard his mother yell "Don't shower with hot water today, it will make the burn worse!".

* * *

After a brisk shower, curtesy of Izuku not wanting to shower with cold water, the mother and son found themselves in the living room again. "What you wanted to tell me Izuku?" Inko asks the four-year-old.

Finally getting to the topic he wanted to talk about, Izuku begins to speak with enthusiasm" When I was walking home in the forest I fell an- "

As Izuku began he was almost immediately interrupted by Inko "ARE YOU OKAY IZUKU?! ARE YOU HURT?!".

Signing at his mother's protectiveness Izuku quickly reassured her." I'm okay mom. I'm fine, really." To emphasize, he showed her his knees to see that he was uninjured from the fall "Anyways, when I was on the ground my hands dug into it and left a big trench! I THINK I HAVE A QUIRK MOM!"

As Izuku happily and excitedly exclaimed the last sentence, Inko eyes widened." Come again?" Inko replied with a blank face towards her son's enthusiasm.

"My hands dug through the forest floor, I think my quirk is super-power!" Izuku explained to his mother all the while being ecstatic about it.

Inko didn't know what to think. The doctor explicitly told her that her son was quirkless. Yet against all odds, here he was claiming to have one in front of her.

On one hand, if the revelation turns out to be true that means Izuku could achieve his dream and be happy again. But, if it turns out to be false Izuku would be sadder than ever, having his hope taken a second time.

_'What should I do? According to the doctors, he shouldn't have a quirk… how is this possible?!'_

As Inko deliberated on the situation in her head _,_ Izukudecided to show his mother his new quirk. "Here mom look!" Izuku called for his mother's attention. Getting her out of her thoughts, the boy attempted to push the heavy couch using only his raw strength.

Needless to say that Izuku failed miserably and the couch didn't budge. As he continued helplessly attempting to push the couch to little success, Inko looked at him with sad eyes. _' He really doesn't have a quirk…'_ she thought sadly.

Not wanting to upset her precious son but knowing that continuing what he's doing isn't good for him, especially while injured, Inko walked up to Izuku. "I think you were imagining it Izuku," she said softly, trying to soften the blow she knew her words would land.

Izuku looked up at Inko with a devastated look "B-but it worked in the forest. I-I don't get it. It should work".

Inko, struggling to keep her composure, hugs her son saying softly "Sometimes we see things that didn't happen, maybe it was like it for you now…".

Before she could continue Izuku cut her off and yelled in denial "No! I know what I saw! I have a quirk and I'm going to use it to become a hero!" getting out of the hug, Izuku went back to try the push the couch until his burn stopped him from trying anymore.

* * *

The next day, Izuku walks up to his kindergarten with his mother in tow. Having spent most of yesterday's day and night attempting in vain to activate his Quirk, Izuku is understandably tired.

As the boy groggily entered the building, swaying from left the right in half-conciseness, Inko could only look at his receding form worriedly.

All of yesterday Izuku ran around the house trying to use his quirk on anything in sight. From attempting to push couches to lift the dining table to even drag his hands **through** the wooden floor of their apartment. An act which he claimed he did before in the forest but that didn't stop Inko's worries. Especially after his hands started to bleed from him breaking his nails.

Needless to say that Inko kept a close watch on her son after that, forbidding him from attempting anything like that again.

Unfortunately, that led to two problems.

One, Izuku didn't want to stop trying to activate his quirk. Thus, after Inko went to sleep, he started experimenting again until the early hours of the morning.

Two, feeling betrayed by his mother Izuku became depressed and unresponsive only answering with 'yes' and 'no's to anything she asked.

This leads us to the present where an exhausted Izuku entered his kindergarten's building with a dead look in his eyes. Too tired to think, Izuku found a secluded corner and went to sleep there with everyone else oblivious to his presence.

* * *

Katsuki Bakugou was confused. The entire day Deku was nowhere to be seen and that never happens, he's always here.

It's now lunchtime and there's still not a sign from the quirkless wonder.

Having had enough he walks up to one of the caretakers and bluntly demands an answer "Hoi! Where's Deku?! I didn't see him the entire day!".

Confused, the caretakers responded to him "What do you mean Katsuki- Kun? Izuku- Kun is supposed to be here, you should have seen him… "

At her statement, the explosive blonde got angry "Well, I didn't! So where's Deku?!".

Understanding the situation that they might have, the caretaker gathers her coworkers to help with the problem." Hey, has anyone seen Izuku-Kun today?". At her question, the fellow caretakers were drawing a blank as well.

Realizing the situation, the caretakers immediately set out to action and had put a stop to the lunch before it started. "Sewa-san I'll stay with the others while you two go find Izuku-Kun.".

Nodding to show they understand, the other caretakers set out to find Izuku while one of them watches the other kids, making sure they don't interfere with the search.

"Izuku- Kun! Where are you?! "As the caretakers' words reached the sleeping form of Izuku, he began steering in his sleep and groaned, catching everyone's' attention.

When the caretakers walked up to him they were slightly irritated that a single sleeping child could cause so much trouble "Wow, what a problem child, right Sewa-senpai?" the young caretaker jokingly asks his senior as he shakes Izuku gently to wake him up.

Izuku woke up to the feeling of warm hands shaking him. As he sits up, stretching in the process and yawning *Yawn*, he notices that the entire kindergarten was staring at him. The other kids looking especially upset.

Oblivious to the racket that he had caused, Izuku innocently asked: "What happened?".

This question was very quickly answered by Bakugou, who stormed towards Izuku before gripping the collar of his shirt. "THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING DEKU!? BECAUSE OF YOU THE LUNCH IS LATE! ".

Freaking out because of the blonde, Izuku still managed to stutter "W-what d-did I do? ".

The elder caretaker, Sewa-san, signed before addressing the boy "No one knew where you were Izuku-kun, so we dropped everything and went looking for you".

"Yeah and Because of that you ruined lunch!" At Bakugou's accusation Izuku begins to tear up "I-I d-didn't mean to cause trouble, I-I was just tired!".

Before the explosion-quirk-user could come up with a remark, Sewa-san stepped in "You didn't ruin lunch Izuku-kun, it was just delayed. Speaking of, now that we found you, we can start serving it."

As Izuku ate his lunch, he noticed the scornful looks all the kids shot at him. It looked like the other kids were still upset at what he pulled, even if he didn't want to cause trouble.

After they ate lunch, it was naptime. While everyone went to sleep, Izuku stayed awake. Well, that's to be expected given the fact that he slept all morning.

With nothing better to do, Izuku sneaked out of his mattress and went outside with only one goal in mind. Resuming his attempts at activating his quirk and succeeding at it.

* * *

**Katsuki Bakugou**

**Quirk: Explosion.**

**Description: Katsuki's Quirk allows him to secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from his palms and detonate it at will to create explosions.**

**Appearance: Katsuki** **has short, spiky ash-blond hair and choppy bangs that come to his eyebrows. His eyes are sharp and thin and are bright red in color.**

**Affiliation: None.**

**Age: 4**

**Birthday: 20/4**

**Height: 82.3 cm.**

**Blood Type: A.**

**Favorite food: Spicy foods.**

**Favorite thing: Nature trekking.**

* * *

The children were woken up by the sudden bright light which illuminated the previously dark room. As the caretakers began waking everyone up, Bakugou fought off the urge to stay asleep and pushed himself up.

Doing so, he glanced at the mattress that was set next to his, Deku's. _'Where's the damned Deku? He always takes forever to wake up…'_ Bakugou looked around himself, trying to locate the greenette. However, not long after he realizes that Deku was nowhere to be found.

_'ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! NOT AGAIN!'_ While Bakugou was seething and cursing in his head, the other caretakers noticed Izuku's absence again. "That kid just doesn't seem to sit quietly today, now does he?" one of the caretakers signed exasperatedly.

He was quickly replied by the head caretaker, Sewa-san, "We need to find him, but where could he go?".

During the time that the caretakers were searching for the forest-haired kid, Bakugou decided to assemble his own search squad. "Hoi! Stick-fingers! Red-wings! You're coming with me!".

Joining the explosive boy at the corner of the room, they look at him quizzically before one of them begins to speak." What do you need Kacchan?" the chubby boy with red wings inquired.

"I DON'T **NEED** ANYTHING! Especially not form an extra, Red-wings!" Bakugou retorted angrily.

"R-right sorry…" the chubby boy apologized before Stick-fingers entered the conversation.

"Anyway… what do you want us to do Kacchan?".

Bakugou looked at the caretakers who were still searching for Izuku inside the building "We're going to find Deku and drag him here, the quirkless nerd already ruined lunch and I'm not going to let him ruin snack time! ".

Nodding to show they understood his orders, the three joined the searching effort.

It didn't take long before they heard exhausted grunts and gasps for air from outside. Exiting the building, the trio was greeted to the sight of a drenched-in-sweat Deku trying to push one of the picnic tables in the yard with all of his might.

While they walked up to him they saw that he didn't notice them. Capitalizing on it, Bakugou grabbed Deku from behind before spinning him to face himself.

"THE HECK ARE YOU DOING DEKU!" he screamed at the exhausted boy who was too out of breath to reply. "FIRST LUNCH AND NOW THIS?! I SWEAR IF YOU DELAY SNACK-TIME, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!".

Thanks to Bakugou's screaming, the other children and caretakers soon flocked out to the yard. As the children circled the scene, the caretakers themselves walked up to Izuku.

"Izuku- kun!" they exclaimed as they finally knelt in front of him, separating him from Bakugou.

"Why have you walked out like that?... and what happened to you? You're all dirty."

As they caretakers looked the child for any injuries he meekly rubbed his fingers together before stuttering "I-I didn't want to c-cause trouble, I-I just wanted to practice my quirk an-".

Any further explanation was cut short by the sneers of Bakugou "What quirk?! You're quirkless! Don't lie to us Deku!".

Izuku managed to find some resistance within him to deny the accusation made about him "I'M NOT LYING!" before it faded a second later." …I-I activated my quirk yesterday by accident and I've been trying to do it again since…".

Before he got to continue the boy with demon wings, Tsubasa, cut him off "Yeah right! You've been to grandpa and he told you that your quirkless, so don't go around telling lies Deku!"

"B-but I-I'm not lying…. I-I do have a quirk… I used super-power to carve through the ground…"

As the boy stammered to try and explain himself he was stopped by Sewa-san "Izuku- kun" she said softly "I know that you want a quirk, but lying about having one won't help you. You caused a lot of trouble for us today, so, please. Apologize to everyone for what you did earlier today as well as lying to them".

Sewa-san's remark grew a lot of support out of the other kindergarteners:

" Yeah!"

"Lying is wrong Deku!"

"You should apologize if you know what's good for ya, Deku!"

"NO! I'M NOT LYING TO YOU! I DO HAVE A QUIRK!" Izuku screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to drown out the sneers of his classmates.

The caretakers scoffed and signed "Izuku" they spoke his name with no honorific to emphasize the importance of their statement. "If you're going to keep this lie up and not face what you did, we have no choice but to punish you. You will not have any snacks today **and** you'll stay in the corner until your mother comes to pick you up, understand?".

The caretakers stared at the boy to see if the threat did anything to change his mind "I-I'm not lying but I'm sorry for causing you all trouble" Izuku bowed to his teacher and classmates, though that didn't seem to satisfy the caretakers.

"If you're not going to take **full** responsibility for you shortcoming, then we'll still have to punish you. Izuku, go sit in the corner until your mom comes to pick you up and you can expect to receive no snack today.".

Izuku slumped his head in defeat as he made his way to the corner to sit his time out. All the while the sneers of the kids flooded his ears and filled his heart with dread.

" That's what you get for telling lies Deku" Tsubasa snarled at the boy, which was followed by the reply of one of his female classmates "Yeah, Deku's nothing but a liar. ".

The final nail in his coffin of shame came from Yubi who jokingly remarked "Naw, he's not just a liar. He's a quirkless liar.".

* * *

That label I was given lasted for months. During that time, I didn't stop trying to activate my quirk but alas, no matter what I tried the result stayed the same.

The children around me haven't made the situation any more bearable. To them, I was "Deku: The Quirkless liar" and because of this, I was shunned from them even more so than before.

Their words hurt and slowly but surely, they began to take effect on me and made me question myself.

_'Do I really have a quirk?'_

In a last ditched effort to prove that I wasn't a lair and that I did have a quirk, I tried to convince my mother to take me to the doctor again. It took several months, but eventually, she relented and we made our way to doctor Tsubasa once more.

* * *

Doctor Tsubasa signed as his gaze rested on the Midoriya family. He had already dismissed them months ago stating that the kid didn't have a quirk, there was no reason for them to be here.

And yet, here they are. Even with a scheduled appointment and everything. They had called a couple of weeks prior and had asked for a second check to see if the child had a quirk.

Personally, the doctor thought it was one big waste of time since the missing toe joint thing was never proved false… but hey, he was getting paid to do this, so why not.

The Midoriya matriarch watched tensely at the figure of Tsubasa who was looking over the test results that they have spent the last three hours gathering.

They have done everything. From X-rays, blood samples (Which were tricky to get. **You** try getting blood from a four-year-old) to spit samples. Every kind of test was performed in tandem to the Midoriyas' request.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the doctor shifted his gaze from the papers towards the form of Izuku who was watching him with an intensity that could rival Endeavor's.

Doctor Tsubasa signed before beginning to speak "Well, we have done every sort of test imaginable trying to determine if the child has any sort of quirk and…" Izuku tensed in anticipation, this was it.

"…we couldn't find anything, there is no trace of a quirk factor in Izuku's body. He is without a shadow of a doubt 100% Quirkless". Once again, much like the time months ago, the doctor's words caused Izuku to shut down.

Izuku plummeted to a pit of despair. As his mind was frantically processing the information that was given to him, one thought alone managed to become coherent enough in the form of words _'I-I'm…. I'm really quirkless?'._

* * *

"All right kids! Dig in!" one of the caretakers yelled enthusiastically to the children which responded with a happy, coordinated, yell of " **Itadakimasu!** " before digging into the food on the picnic tables.

Today Izuku's kindergarten, as well as the one they met a couple of months ago, was going on a road trip to Shirahama beach** in the Izu peninsula**.

But before they arrived on the beach, they stopped at Kawazu town for a little breakfast and a tour of the nearby reserve 'The Kawaza Nanadaru'**.

Currently, they were located in a picnic site near the forest at the edge of town. Picnic tables littered the place and were now filled with all sorts of food.

As the children dug in, the caretakers went away for a bit but stayed close by to set everything up.

After the breakfast would be done, they would tour the town of Kawaza for about forty-ish minutes before taking a bus to the Mizutare bus stop.

From there they would go through Kawaza Nanadaru for an hour before arriving at the Nanadaru visitor's center and taking another bus to Shirahama beach.

While the caretakers went through everything away from the children, the kids were sat at the tables and munched happily on everything that was served. Whether it would be food or snacks that the caretakers provided or home-brought meals, the kids wore happy smiles on their faces as their cheeks were stuffed from all the food.

Well, almost all of them. After all, one preferred to sit away from the others for his own safety.

Devouring the 'Extra-Spicy Bakugou-famous curry' that he brought with him, Katsuki noticed one of his lackeys looking at something at the edge of the woods. Turning to look at it himself, he saw Izuku sitting alone under the shade of a tree and eating the bento that his mother made for him. Scoffing at the sight of the quirkless wonder, Bakugou returned to his meal of assorted spicy goodness without betting an eye at Deku.

The lackey, on the other hand, had different plans.

"Look, ya think Deku is trying to use his 'quirk' again?" the chubby kid said while air quoting the word quirk.

That comment was addressed by one of the kids from the second kindergarten "Deku? You mean the quirkless kid? He got a quirk after all?" the girl with burgundy braids, Shisu Murasa, asked.

"Naw. Deku's Quirkless, through and through." Yubi, the kid with stretchy fingers, joined the conversation that was quickly catching everyone's attention. "He just got up one day and decided to start pushing the table and now, he goes on and on about having a quirk".

"I know right?!" Tsubasa responded smirking deviously "He even went to grandpa **twice** and both times grandpa said he was quirkless, but he still keeps saying he got one. What a freaking liar".

"That's pathetic!" one of the children laughed in glee.

Hearing their words hurt Izuku. With every insult and laugh, he could feel his shell cracking, bit by bit.

"That just sad!" one of the kids from the other kindergarten bellowed with laughter. "He lies about having a quirk even though no one believes him, that's…"

"I'M NOT LYING!" Izuku yelled desperately, tears threatening to spill from his eyes "I DO HAVE A QUIRK, AND ONCE I'LL MANAGE TO ACTIVATE IT, I'LL USE IT TO BECOME A HERO!"

The other children stayed silent for a minute before all of them burst out laughing. Some were clutching their stomachs from how hard they laughed while others were crying from laughter. The only one not laughing was Bakugou, who just glared at Izuku with hateful eyes and had an animalistic grin on his face.

"You can't be serious!" one of the laughing kids yelled and was quickly joined by Yubi "Yeah! We all heard Tsubasa-kun! You're quirkless, you can't really think anyone will believe you!"

"Wait, maybe he isn't lying?" Murasa stated with a contemplating expression. The other children all seized their laughing and Izuku looked at the girl with hopeful eyes, his tears stopped flowing down his cheeks as one thought crossed his mind _'Finally … finally someone believes me'._

However, the hopeful expression on Izuku's face vanished instantly after hearing the girl's next words.

Beginning to speak, an evil smirk was stretched across her face as she uttered in a low tone "Maybe Deku **thinks** he has a quirk… maybe he isn't a liar, he's just stupid!"

The children's laughter grew to a gleeful uproar and even Bakugou joined this time. The previously-frozen tears of Izuku resumed and intensified in vigor at the new kind of sneers the other children directed at him.

"*Hahah*-Wow, I-*ppft* think you got something," Yubi said through his laughing fit and was soon followed by his fellow lackey, Tsubasa.

"S-so I guess it's not 'Deku the Quirkless liar', it's-*pfft* 'Deku the Quirkless idiot! *Hahahaha*".

As Izuku heard the other kid's hurtful words, he clutched his shirt and began sobbing in despondency. An act that didn't go unnoticed by the other children.

"He's crying, again?!" Murasa asked, remembering the time the two kindergartens met before and Izuku crying there as well.

"Yeah! You wouldn't believe it! Deku cries all the time, it's like he got sprinklers instead of eyeballs!" Tsubasa said, having managed to calm down from his laughing fit.

"Maybe…" a tall boy with short black hair started, catching everyone's attention "he does have a quirk, the pathetic quirk to cry at everything!".

The kids once again entered a fit of laughter at the expense of Izuku. The boy himself was barely standing, struggling to stay on his feet as he felt his heart clench in sorrow.

Through the sound of laughter that echoed through the clearing, one voice could be heard. The voice of one Katsuki Bakugou. "Do you get it now, Deku?" he asked in a cold, menacing, voice. The other children immediately went quite "You're a worthless nerd, just a pebble in everyone's path!". Katsuki's words left the other children in silence, all listening to the guy they appointed as their leader in admiration. "So, do everyone a favor, behave like the Deku you are, and get out of our way. You'll never be a hero!".

The kids began clapping to the speech that came from Bakugou, who took it all in. Basking in the praise and glory which was bestowed upon him just by being present.

No one noticed the retreating form of Izuku. Leaving his backpack behind, the small child made his way into the forest.

Completely unaware that this day would change his life forever.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Tsubasa (the kid with wings) is the quirk doctor's grandson according to canon.
> 
> ** Welcome to the 'fact of the chapter corner'!:
> 
> 'Shirahama beach' and 'The Kawaza Nanadaru' are both real-life locations that are found in the Izu peninsula in the Shizuka prefecture. I wanted a place that would make sense for Izuku and his kindergarten to be for the story, so I looked at some places in Shizuka ( The place where Musutafu is supposed to be) that would suit my needs.
> 
> I eventually found the Izu peninsula and declared it the best location for me to write the happenings in this arc. The fact that it resembles Izuku's name is purely coincidental... And a bit funny if I'm honest.
> 
> And we're done!
> 
> Sorry that not a lot happened in this chapter but I needed to publish it anyways.
> 
> This chapter's job was mainly to set up the scene for the climax of the first arc of the story.
> 
> Until next time... Tai out!


	4. Book 1 chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> This chapter had been beta-read by 41ternative. A big thank you for your hard work!
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER THREE:

**CHIMA**

* * *

"Do you get it now, Deku?" he asked in a cold, menacing, voice. The other children immediately went quite "You're a worthless nerd, just a pebble in everyone's path!". Katsuki's words left the other children in silence, all listening to the guy they appointed as their leader in admiration. "So, do everyone a favor, behave like the Deku you are, and get out of our way. You'll never be a hero!".

The other children began cheering and applauding, completely in awe of the boy that was Katsuki Bakugou.

And why wouldn't they? Bakugou was the best at everything. He was the smartest, strongest and was the leader of the entire kindergarten. No one ever doubted that Katsuki Bakugou, also known as 'Kacchan' by some of them, was destined to become one of the greatest heroes out there.

"That was so cool Kacchan!" One of the girls squealed in clear admiration to the boy. "Yeah! Way to show the quirkless Deku his place" congratulated Tsubasa.

This occurrence was a common one. It seemed that no matter where Katsuki Bakugou was, he would always be acknowledged as the best of the best. No matter what he did.

As Bakugou stood there on the table, chin up in a prideful stance and the other children cheering for him, he noticed that Deku was gone. The quirkless wonder was nowhere to be seen.

He scoffed. _'That damned Deku… Why can't he understand? He can't be a hero! I'm the one who is supposed to! ... But…'_

_^…" Izuku ran down the hill to the stream and stretched out a hand towards Bakugou._

_" Need help? Can you stand?"_

_Izuku looked at the sitting form of Bakugou with nothing but worry in his eyes "You didn't hurt your head, did you? That would be bad." ^_

_^" S-stop it Kacchan! Izuku yelled at Bakugou fearfully. Standing between the small child he and his lackeys were beating up, fists raised and in a battle stance._

_Even though it was clear he was terrified from his shaking, he stood his ground and yelled "If you're not going to stop t-then … I'LL STOP YOU MYSELF!" ^_

_'… he continues to act like he is the one destined to be one! DOES HE THINK **HE** WILL BE THE ONE?! INSTEAD OF ME?!' _As these thoughts ran rampant inside the explosive blonde's head, the caretakers had begun to walk back towards the picnic tables.

"All right everyone, I see that you're all in high spirits!" one of the caretakers bellowed with enthusiasm, having heard the children's laughter from afar. "Now that everyone is stuffed we can begin the trip!"

The young caretaker instructed before Sewa-san interrupted him "But before that… "she stifled a giggle at how quickly the children's energy seemed to die out in a second "We need to clean up after us … so let's begin!".

And so, the children began to clean up after themselves. As They threw away leftovers and garbage, the caretakers who assisted them reminded "After we're done, grab your stuff and line up near the gate!"

* * *

It took a while but before long, the entire picnic site was spotless and the children were lined up in front of its gate, being head-counted by the caretakers.

It didn't take long for something to go wrong.

"Hey has anyone seen Izuku-kun?" Sewa-san asked her fellow caretakers.

Shaking their head to state that they hadn't; one of the younger caretakers signed in exasperation "AGAIN?! Can he **not** go running off somewhere for just **one** week?!".

The caretaker's rhetorical question was answered by one of his colleagues "You know that's too much to ask for Rusu-san … in any case, we better find him. We can't just leave him here, after all."

The caretakers took off to search for the young greenette while the other children were left near the gate, obviously annoyed. "Why are we still here?!" Tsubasa yelled at Rusu-san who was watching them while the others searched for Izuku.

Rusu-san signed," One of your classmates is missing, the others are looking for him now around the place".

At the explanation, the children perked up "Now that you mention it … I haven't seen Deku around ever since he ran off at breakfast…"

Yubi's words caused all the color to drain from Rusu-san's face. "Come again?" he asked.

This time the adult was responded to by Bakugou "Deku ran off during breakfast about half an hour ago. Haven't seen him since.".

If it was possible, Rusu-san's face became even paler _'Nooo-no-no-no-no this is bad … this is very, very bad … please tell me this isn't happening!'_

This is terrible. If Izuku had been gone for more than half-an-hour there was no telling where he could be … they all thought he was just hiding to not have to clean up …

Rusu-san made his way frantically towards the other caretakers, leaving behind the other children in his panic.

"SEWA-SAN! EVERYONE!" he exclaimed in panic. After all the other caretakers turned to look at him, he began "The situation is way worse than we thought…"

* * *

Once again, Izuku found himself within a forest, all alone. Not knowing or caring where he will end up, Izuku continued to run. Leaving fate and his instincts to guide him onwards.

The forest which he runs through could be described as a nice place. The forested mountain sported streams and waterfalls galore with many roads and bridges crossing through it. With several statues decorating the sides of the road, it was clear why the kindergartens went on a school trip here.

It is on one of these roads that Izuku runs, the only thing keeping him going is the desire to get as far away from the other kids as possible.

And as he continues to run, he hears voices from the past all telling him the same thing…

 _^ "…we couldn't find anything, there is no trace of a quirk factor in Izuku's body. He is without a shadow of a doubt 100% quirkless". ^_ the words of doctor Tsubasa rang through his head, soon followed by his grandson's _^ "S-so I guess it's not 'Deku the quirkless liar', it's-*pfft* 'Deku the quirkless idiot! *Hahahaha*" ^._

 _'Is … is it r-really true? '_ Izuku asked himself as he ran ' _A-am I really a quirkless idiot? W-was I really imagining it back then? '_

Izuku wanted to say no. He wanted to tell himself that he wasn't an idiot, that he did have a quirk, that he will be a hero, but ...

_'…I couldn't activate my quirk this entire time, it should have happened by now … so why didn't it?'_

… he couldn't. All these months, all these months that he tried to activate his Quirk, the months of accusations of being a liar, of being quirkless and now, an idiot; This traumatic time couldn't have not left some form of doubt in the young boy's mind.

His best friend didn't believe him _^ "What quirk?! You're quirkless! Don't lie to us Deku!" ^_

Even his own mother didn't _^ "I think you were imagining it Izuku," … "sometimes we see things that didn't happen, maybe it was like it for you now…". ^_

 _'Maybe… maybe they were all right…'_ Izuku thought in despair _'…Everyone already said so, didn't they?... maybe I really don't have a quirk … maybe I am just a Deku …'_

_._

_._

_._

*rustle*

The sound of rustling leaves caused Izuku to stumble and stop his run. Hearing moving bushes in the distance, Izuku began to walk away slowly with fear evident on his face.

 _'I-is it a Bear? A Boar? Mom always said to stay away from wild animals ... but what do I do when one approaches me?'_ Izuku thought while the sound of rustling leaves started to grow in volume, indicating that whatever was there was coming closer.

*Rustle* *Rustle*

Izuku tried to run away, but his feet refused to move … his entire body seemed to ignore his frantic mind that was screaming at it in a panic.

But … unlike his mind, Izuku's body was completely calm.

While his mind was on over-drive with fear, his body hadn't felt like or showed any sign that he was fearful.

He wasn't shaking; His muscles weren't tense; Even his **face** turned against him and remained frozen.

Against his mind and better judgment, Izuku felt no hint of fear throughout his body. Only his mind was convinced of any danger.

If anything, his body felt like he was … excited? Happy? Relieved?! …

… **That…** was weird…

Izuku didn't know exactly what it felt like. It was like ... whatever was approaching … was causing something deep within him to resonate in recognition and force him to meet it.

That **something** was the weirdest thing. It felt … familiar, but … he never felt anything like it in his life …

***Rustle* *Stomp * *Rustle***

The stomping of feet on solid ground could be heard now by Izuku, whatever this thing was … it was big, and it was approaching him **directly**.

His mind continued screaming, his body continued to refuse to listen, and the sounds of the approaching … **thing** … continued to grow in volume as it drawled nearer…

*Rustle* *Stomp * *Rustle* *Rustle* *Stomp * *Rustle*

***Fwoooosh! ***

Just then, a big shadow jumped from the bushes. Completely filling the field of vision of the small boy who's only response was "AAAAAAAAAAAH".

***Thwomp!***

And just like that, Izuku found himself on the ground with a furred mass perched on top of him.

"Ugh…" Trying to get up, Izuku found himself unable to lift the weird creature off of him due to its weight … so, against his better judgment, he called out to the animal that was still too disoriented to notice the tiny human underneath it.

"Hey … "the creature perked up to the sound of Izuku, looking around and trying to locate it "excuse me, but … you're kinda crashing me …".

The furball looked down and found itself face to face with Izuku. And now, with them looking at each other, Izuku could finally see what exactly crashed into him.

Needless to say that Izuku had never seen, or heard, of a creature like the one that was in front of him right now…

The weird animal was larger than any dog that Izuku had ever seen … he could definitely ride it if it let him. It was slightly taller than Izuku in terms of height, and in terms of everything else … well … it was massive, easily six times Izuku's size.

The animal's giant body was coated with brown fur. The only exception was the white stripe bordered by two black ones that ran around its back along with a domino-mask-patterned white fur around its eyes. It's long, muscular, tail and paws were naked with 5 black claws sprouting from each of its paws.

To finish it looks, the creature sported two little fluffy ears and whiskers at the edge of its black nose.

All in all, Izuku thought that the creature was beautiful. As he looked at the creature's blank eyes he couldn't help but feel like he saw it somewhere before.

But … he couldn't tell where for the life of him. And it appeared the creature saw something within him as well. Ever since it noticed the boy, the animal inspected it and a curious expression dawned over its face … was it curiosity? Recognition? Affection? Izuku couldn't tell.

The only thing he could tell…

… was that this creature was currently squashing him.

"Umm … excuse m- WOAH" suddenly, as if Izuku's words woke it up from its stupor, the animal immediately jumped off of the boy and stepped back, eyeing him suspiciously.

Getting up and looking at the animal, Izuku found that the creature was currently in an attack ready position and growling at him in a warning.

The message was clear … stay away.

Now, on any other occasion, Izuku would have stepped back and left the animal alone… But today was not any other occasion. He didn't know why, but that **thing** inside of him screamed and encouraged him to approach it. He didn't know why it did, but it felt like he couldn't go against that voice, and even if he could, that could easily be the biggest mistake of his life.

So, swallowing his fear, Izuku began to approach the brown-furred animal with an extended hand.

 ***Grrrr*** Only to be stopped by the animal's warning growls. There was simply no way for Izuku to approach it, it was obviously wary and afraid of him, not to mention that it might attack him.

Yet … he couldn't just leave it here … it looked scared and lonely like it was hungry and needed help … _'wait … hungry? I think I have an idea!'_ Izuku squealed in delight in his head as a plan formed in it.

Izuku excitedly put his hand in his pocket … ***Grah! *** Only to be stopped by the animal's warning growls again. Lifting his hands in the air **slowly** to show that he doesn't mean any harm, Izuku tucked his hands in his pockets again and pulled out a wrapped package.

Eyeing him carefully as Izuku opened the wrappings the animal perked up immediately at the scent that filled its nostrils.

In his pockets, Izuku had a special snack his mother had made for him to enjoy during the trip, homemade granola bars that were stuck together by honey.

Lately, because of her increase in weight the Midoriya matriarch decides to switch to a healthier diet. Which resulted in an almost unhealthy obsession with granola. Luckily for Izuku, he loved it and Inko made sure that he had some for today.

And it seems that the animal liked it as well, considering the growls of its stomach and the fact it had started to comically drool. Smiling brightly that his plan seemed to work, Izuku approached the animal slowly and this time it let him come with no objections.

Izuku stopped a few meters away from the animal, not entirely sure it would let him any nearer and decided to leave the bar on the ground for him to pick up and eat himself.

Immediately the creature expression turned into a terrified one, startling Izuku, and it quickly turned tail and ran away in the direction it came from.

"W-wait!" he called "Where are you going?!" Izuku screamed frantically. Not wanting to lose the animal, Izuku quickly picked up the bar and went after it.

The only clue that he was ever there was the wrapping he left behind in his haste.

* * *

It's safe to say that Inko Midoriya's day did **not** go as she expected **.**

It started off fine, just another day for the Midoriya matriarch. Izuku had a field trip today to the Izu peninsula so that meant that Inko had an extra-long day just for herself.

Don't get her wrong, she loved her son with everything she had and more; But being a mother while your husband works overseas is no easy task … She needed to unwind every once in a while.

Most of her morning was spent in the kitchen. Her recently acquired obsession with granola had called for her to perform a few 'experiments' that may or may not have created some monstrosities. After cleaning up after herself she contemplated what should she do next; she can always go out shopping, maybe go watch a movie or something? or maybe …

… Maybe she should call Hisashi … Not that her husband didn't keep in close touch considering he called multiple times a week. But those were usually the normal family calls ... filled with status updates, 'I love you', and the occasional complaint about his boss. This time they needed to talk about something important.

Something has been weighed heavily upon Inko these past few months. Her son, Izuku, has been distancing himself from her for months.

It began after the Doctor's visit. Ever since the day she had given up on Izuku's dream she had watched her son suffer and unable to do anything about it … She **didn't** do anything about it! And … just when it began to seem like he accepted what had happened and his smile returned a little, **that** day came…

…He came home one day, all dirty and injured, and claimed that he had a Quirk. Usually, such an announcement would be a welcomed one… that is if Izuku really had a Quirk.

No matter what he tried, nothing had happened and Inko had watched his struggles for months. Slowly, she saw the shine in his eyes beginning to become dim, he would come home always covered in bruises and he would not talk to her at all.

She was losing her baby … and it drove her mad.

Having only Hisashi working in the family, and nothing to occupy herself with; Inko has begun to stress-eat and had put some weight on as a result. She got out of the house less and less and, much like her son, seemed to shut herself down.

Having the entire day to herself, she has finally begun to see all of this.

Things couldn't go on like this. How could she help her son if she is in this state? She needed help too. And luckily for her, there is a ring on her finger that is proof that there is someone out there who would listen to her.

Having made up her mind, Inko grabbed her phone and opened up her contacts. But before she managed to call her husband, it started ringing.

"Hello?" she asks the mystery caller who contacted her "Are you Midoriya-san?" the caller asks. "Yes, I am" she responds swiftly before the caller begins to talk "Midoriya-san, I'm afraid there is no easy way to say what I'm about to say. I'd suggest you sit down…"

* * *

And that's how Inko Midoriya found herself on a bus to Kawazu after a nerve-racking train ride to the Izu peninsula. The frantic mother easily scaring every other passenger with her expression alone.

Upon arriving at her stop, Inko, much to the relief of all the passengers and the driver, gets off and heads towards the place where her son had gone missing from.

Not having trouble finding it, seeing the number of police cars present, Inko immediately walked up to the caretakers who are giving their report on the situation.

"WHERE IS MY BABY?!" she demands to know. At her outburst, every man/woman/cat-man? who has been present turned towards the frantic mother.

"M-Midoriya-san..." Sewa-san instantly recognizes the mother of the missing child and looks at her with a pitying look. Inko is living one of the worst nightmares for a mother right now, after all.

"I assume you are the child's mother?" The detective who talked with the caretakers asked Inko.

The old detective was nothing impressive. He has a receding hairline and a wrinkled face along with a face full of stubbles. Judging by the bags under his eyes, he didn't get much sleep either.

"Y-yes, I am. Now, where is my baby?" Inko answers the detective's question and immediately returns to the subject at hand.

"Izuku Midoriya is still missing" the detective begins and Inko's heart clench in worry once more "We will soon send out a search party for him, I suggest you head home and wait until we find him, madam.".

 _'Go home and wait?'_ The detective words bounce around in her hand. _'Be in the house and wait until Izuku is back? This is exactly what I did until now … This is why things had gone the way they did … My son has suffered because I didn't help him…_

_because I failed as his mother … NO MORE!'_

"No…" Inko whispered, her eyes masked by her hair. "Excuse me?" the detective deadpanned and was swiftly answered by the mother" I won't sit still while my son might be in danger or is suffering! I won't just go home and wait until you find him … I'M GOING TOO!".

The detective's eyes widen at the exclamation and he quickly attempts to rile the woman down "Now now, Midoriya-san … This is a police affair and should be left to the profess…- "

"I don't care what kind of matter this is; this is about my son!" Inko quickly interrupts the older detective and takes a deep breath to calm down. "This is simply a search conducted in the forest, right? All I ask is to be with the search team and help them find my son "Inko begs the detective, her eyes shining with unrivaled determination.

"Fine" the detective relented "If you stay with the team you can go with them."

Inko perked up and her expression locked into a determined one "Thank you … now, let's go find my son!"

* * *

**Inko Midoriya**

**Quirk:** ** Attraction of Small Objects **

**Description: This Quirk grants Inko the ability to telekinetically attract small objects to her.**

**Appearance: Inko is a slim woman who has long hair with a ponytail on the left as well as round and green eyes.**

**Affiliation: None.**

**Age: 31**

**Birthday: 4/7**

**Height: 160 cm.**

**Blood Type: O.**

**Favorite food: Kashipan*.**

**Favorite thing: Izuku.**

* * *

Having long since abandoned the clear trails that littered the forest in his chase, Izuku ran through the dense forest after the weird animal.

Low branches hitting his head, torso, and arms; he continues the chase nevertheless. The creature is indeed a fast one, so much so that Izuku has lost it long ago. And now, he is left following the sign of destroyed shrubbery to lead him forward.

The greenette doesn't know why the animal makes him feel this way. Nor why he is willing to go so far in order to chase it, clearly breaking every law his mother and caretakers had told him about being in the wild in the process.

While Izuku doesn't know any of the 'why's, he does know the 'how's. As he runs, that **thing** deep within him encourages him to go forward towards the Badger-like animal, pushing him onward past his exhaustion and fear.

Not to mention, the animal looked like it needed help. When Izuku first encountered it, it was obvious that the creature saw better days. Its fur was messy and dirty, it was obviously hungry and there were a few cuts and bruises on its body.

The animal had exuded a vibe of a victim in need of a rescue, and Izuku Midoriya will be damned if he didn't give help to those that needed it.

It took a while, but eventually, the boy had caught up with the exhausted animal. How he managed to keep going all this time would remain a mystery for a while, but he wasn't one to complain when things **actually** went his way.

"I-I "*gasp*" f-finally "*gasp* "got you… ughhh" Izuku managed to utter before unceremoniously dropping to the hard ground, in a surprisingly similar pose that the animal took: on his stomach and his limbs spread out around him.

Gasping for air, the two continued breathing heavily for a while, one looking at the other while the other was sniffing his surroundings.

They were within a small clearing within the woods. The tall grass gently brushed their bodies as they panted and the sun was still up during this summer evening.

The creature soon got up, having caught his breath, and made his way to leave; though as he headed towards the shadowed forest, he was stopped by the still winded Izuku.

"W-*gasp* wait!" the forest-haired kid pleads the animal who eyed him wearily. "I-I *gasp* I didn't mean to scare you … I just wanted to help" Izuku panted as he slowly took the snack that was back in his pocket and held it out to the creature.

"You look hungry" Izuku smiles at the animal "My mom made it, and it's really good … want some?"

*growl* The animal's stomach immediately made its opinion known to the two, making its owner take a step closer and Izuku to giggle.

As Izuku began to lower his hand to put the bar on the ground, he remembered what happened the last time he did so. Not understanding what is wrong with the gesture but not wanting to upset the animal, he instead thought of a new approach.

_'He won't accept the food if he needs to pick it up himself? That's weird… but, if he doesn't want to…hey… It's just like that time in the petting zoo… don't come to them, let them come to you!'_

Remembering his class' last outing to the petting zoo, where he was taught how to feed an unfamiliar animal, Izuku decided to follow the advice of the zookeepers.

The almost-five-year-old outstretches both of his hands forward, holding the bar within them. Walking slowly towards the creature, Izuku stops a few steps away from it and let it come to him on its own.

The animal hesitantly takes a step forward … then another … and another … and soon enough, it finds itself mere inches from Izuku's outstretched hands.

"Come on!" the greenette gently encouraged the animal with a smile "Dig in!".

The creature slowly took the bar with his mouth and walked away slowly from the boy. Having reached a sufficient distance from him, the animal put the bar between its front legs and began chewing the bar slowly.

Well … it began chewing slowly … once the taste of the bar settled on its tongue, the creature proceeded to chew the snack with the same enthusiasm Izuku had for Katsudon.

Laughing at the display, the boy reaches for his pockets again and pulls out another bar. "You want another one?" he asks the animal who just finished the bar (much to its disappointment).

Immediately perking up at the sight of more food, the creature ran up to Izuku with enthusiasm and took the bar from his hand, not bothering to back away this time.

Then without warning, it began licking Izuku's fingers that were still sticky from holding the snack. The forest-haired-boy began giggling from the gesture and instinctively put his already cleaned hand on top of the creature's head, petting it.

 _'fluffy'_ the boy thought in delight as he rubbed his hand gently against the creature's head, enticing a purr in the process.

*Purrr* the purr caught Izuku by surprise, but the clear delight of the brown animal only encouraged the boy to continue he's petting.

Now having a better vantage point than ever, Izuku began to deeply study the animal. Both its teeth and claws were rather small, signifying it was very young and possibly even an infant; Its whiskers were nearly invisible and his snout was surprisingly warm to the touch as it snuggled into his arms.

"*Hehe* H-hey … that tickles" the boy laughed, clearly enjoying the creature snuggling into him. Upon hearing his voice, the animal lifted its head, finally causing their two sets of eyes to meet.

Izuku was stunned as he stared into the creature's eyes. Its white pupils were surrounded by light brown irises with no sclera.

Izuku had seen this kind of pupils beforehand, he was with his mother when a gentleman with the same kind of pupils walked beside them using a cane. When he asked his mother about it she just said ^ "This poor man can't see, It's really unfortunate but… "^

"You're blind … "the words left the boy's mouth on their own. The creature before him couldn't see anything. It was disabled, it lived in a world where everyone had a common thing that they took for granted and treated as part of everyday life, a thing that it didn't.

Just like him.

Like how this creature didn't have vision, Izuku didn't have a Quirk. At this point he was sure of it, he tried for months, and yet, nothing happened.

Izuku finally agreed with the world around him, he was quirkless.

"You're like me, aren't you?" Izuku looked at the creature with an understanding look, to which it responded with a confused one upon hearing the boy's tone.

"You can't see. You don't have something that everybody else does, just like me… Everyone around me has a quirk, a unique power that makes them special, but I don't. To them, I'm a nobody, a Deku." Izuku looked at the animal's bruised body, remembering all the times a similar thing happened to him as well "Did you get hurt because of it too?".

As the words left Izuku's mouth he noticed a hole in his assumption; If the animal really was like him and couldn't do anything … then how could it run all the way here without crashing head-first into a tree? Its head even followed him as it moved around earlier...kinda like it knew exactly where he was at all times. Was the creature really blind? Or was it something else?

Getting tired from standing up and still tired from the run, Izuku decided to sit down. Sitting upright with his hands clutching the ground behind his back to support his weight, Izuku sees that the animal decided to sit as well.

"You're blind … but you did all these things that should be impossible, you ran through the forest and always knew where I was … how did you do it?" Izuku asked the animal who, unsurprisingly, didn't respond.

"You're really amazing, you know that?" Izuku continues looking at the animal in admiration "Even though you don't have what everyone else has, you live without it. You do things that are considered impossible for someone like you… you don't even **need** it. Do… Do you think I can be like that? "

Not expecting an answer, Izuku explains himself anyways. He doesn't care if the animal doesn't understand him, he needs to get this out. "I want to be a hero, but… everyone tells me that I can't be one with no Quirk … I used to think I had one, you know … A couple of months ago I thought I dug my hands through the ground with super-power. But, I guess that was a dream or something, nothing else like that happened no matter how hard I tried, nothing at all … "

Izuku stops for a second, realizing he got off the topic he wanted to discuss" So… do you think I could be like you? "Izuku's voice began trembling as it got harder for him to talk "Do you think I can become a hero even without the thing that everyone says that I need to do it?".

Knowing he won't get an answer, Izuku drops his head with tears starting to form in his shut eyes "I know it sounds stupid… but there is nothing I want to do more than that, and seeing you made me think that maybe … just maybe, I can do it too …"

Izuku slowly opened his eyes, wanting to get a look at the creature to see some kind of reaction. But before he can turn to look at it he spots a mass near his feet. A mass that is comprised of a light brown rope with four black lengthwise stripes running across it.

It was no rope, it's a snake**.

Startled, Izuku's feet protectively curl into his body before he extends them to swiftly get on his feet, creating a kicking motion as a result.

But as Izuku's feet clench into his body he feels his entire body clench and stiffens, with the epicenter being his lower back. As the kicking motion is progressing, a familiar vibration is felt by the greenette and when his feet extend outward in their full length…

*BOOM*

Out of nowhere, the earth under the cuddled snake shot outward, leaving behind a short column of raised earth.

The *thump* sound of the snake landing a couple of dozen meters away and his slithering as it disappeared into the woods were the only sounds that were heard in the clearing that the boy and creature were currently inhabiting.

Both looked on in shook at the column of raised earth as if it had come from the moon, Izuku with widened pupils and a slacked jaw and the animal with a very similar expression.

"Di- did I do it?" Izuku's silent question finally broke through the silence that dominated their piece of the forest in the last couple of minutes.

The animal faced him in an expression that could have been either 'Well, I didn't do it, so either it was you or we're both imagining it' or just plain 'Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh' but it didn't matter to Izuku as he processed everything.

 _'The ground just shot out that snake into the air … wait! The snake! I didn't mean to hurt it, it just sacred me_ "ohh I hope it's okay … but he didn't-look-that-hurt-and-it did-flee. But-it-could-have-been-faking-it-and-now-if-anything-happened-to-it-it-will-be -my-fault-and-*mutter*-*mutter*-*mutter*-*mutter*"

Izuku's analysis quickly devolved into frantic mumbling about the wellbeing of that snake. All the while, the animal's expression didn't change at all with Izuku's muttering being the new source of its daze.

Eyeing the boy carefully, as the animal clearly didn't experience anything like it, it opted to get Izuku out of his stupor.

"*mutter*-*mutter* - "*nudge-nudge* "Huh-?" nudging the boy with its paws seemed to do the right trick as Izuku was once again with the living "S-sorry… "Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly "I got lost there… though I still hope that snake is okay … "Seeing the creature raise its paw in preparation of another mumble-storm, Izuku immediately stopped that train of thought.

"Okay, I'll leave it" he sighed "but still what was that with the ground?" finally returning to address the elephant in the roo… **forest** , the boy inspects the short column that reached his calves.

 _'It wasn't there before …'_ he contemplated _'so it definitely shot out of the ground … and it happened just as I tried to get up? '_ Izuku tilted his head to the side before frowning _'But that makes no sense. I'm quirkless … I shouldn't be able to do it. Even if I had super-power I … '_

A light bulb lit up above Izuku's head _'Wait a minute… Back in the forest near home, my hands dug through the ground … And just now, the ground shot out at the snake … '_ As each piece of the puzzle clicked into place, Izuku's 'analysis' expression shifted into a wide smile which was completed as he reached his conclusion … _'All this time … my Quirk was never super-power_ "… I CAN CONTROL THE GROUND! "

* * *

Sitting at a table, a middle-aged man with spikey brown hair talked enthusiastically with his wife that had spikey ash-blonde hair and red eyes; traits that she shared with her son that sat beside them.

"So, he just stood there, cursing at me like a sailor when all of a sudden; he gets a phone call from his boss telling him he was fired because he always messed the prop purchases up! You should have seen his expression! He looked like a deer caught in headlights! *Hahaha*" Masuru and Mitsuki Bakugou both laughed loudly while eating dinner with their son Katsuki. Masuru had just finished telling a story about his day at work about a customer of his that he didn't like that finally got his karmic justice and both he and Mitsuki had loved it.

The hot-headed mother laughed especially hard as anything that irked her husband got itself immediately within her crosshairs. That particular man got on her nerves, especially as her husband had multiple encounters with him in the past. The company that man worked for was the biggest buyer from her husband's so he had to put up with him as their representative which was according to Masuru, absolute torture.

Hell, she would have had pummeled him herself if Masusu hadn't acted as the voice of reason… **again**.

However, unlike his parents, Katsuki was quietly eating his dinner with a scowl. Today they were supposed to go on a field trip, but **Deku** just had to go and ruin it. The fact that his dinner was comprised of frickin' Katsudon didn't help either, _'CAN'T YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING SPICY, DAMNIT?!'_

"What about you Katsuki, how was your trip?" His father's question pulled the child's attention away from his dinner and he scowled at his parents, an action that the spouses noticed.

"It got canceled because of that useless Deku" he responds with a grumble, getting hit by his mother on the head because of the use of his words.

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, BRAT!" his mother yelled at him, and got yelled at by Katsuki in return "YOU HAG! WHY YOU DO THAT?!".

The question though only seemed to anger his mother more "YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID! DON'T GO AROUND INSULTING YOUR CLASSMATES!".

"H-hey calm down you two" Masaru's voice was the only one that wasn't raised and seemed to have calmed Mitsuki down a bit.

"Now Katsuki," he began, hoping to change the topic of the conversation away from the screaming match "Why the trip got canceled?".

Katsuki huffed before explaining his day "Everything was just fine until breakfast" he began "Then, out of nowhere, Deku decided to disappear. As soon as the sensei's found out, they stopped everything and canceled the trip. Last thing I saw was the police getting there from the bus. Been spending the time in the kindergarten since".

Both of his parents gasped in shock at the news "Izuku-kun is missing?!" Mitsuki squealed in horror "Poor Inko-san…" Masuru whispered with an expression full of grief.

"*Sign* Well… as much as this is unfortunate, there is little that we can do about it now" Masaru signed, trying to steer the conversation away from the somber topic.

"You're right" Mitsuki spoke in a low voice "The best thing that we can do is hope that he will come home safe…"

"You know, now that we mention him… It has been a while since we last saw the kid" Masaru commented as he noticed the tidbit of information.

"Uh- You're right... I kind of miss him" Mitsuki chuckled "He was such a sweet kid! Katsuki could actually learn a thing or two from him!" She laughed in good nature while eyeing her scowling son.

 _'Learn something from Deku?!'_ The boy thought in anger at the proposition as he continued eating in silence.

"Yeah…. You should invite him here again once they find him Katsuki" Masaru smiled to his son "It could be fun!"

"Why would I want to hang out with that Deku?!" Katsuki retorted angrily to be met with confused glances from his parents.

"Weren't you two friends?" His father asked him, earning a scoff.

"Like I'll be friends with the Deku!" he exclaimed, much to the shock of his parents.

"You two had a falling out?" Masaru asked his son.

Katsuki nodded "Haven't talked much for months now. He just goes off and tries to use his imaginary Quirk… Honestly, it's quite annoying".

"Wait-wait-wait-wait, imaginary quirk?" The ash-blonde mother asked her son, having not been filled up on the information.

"Just something stupid he's been doing recently" Katsuki explained as he got up with his plate, having finished his food.

"I'm going to bed" Katsuki announced as he began to climb the stairs towards his room. "Don't forget to brush your teeth, brat!" Mitsuki's voice rang from the table.

Katsuki grumbled something about toothpaste before going into the bathroom and leaving a couple of minutes later to bed.

Meanwhile, the Bakugou spouses sat at the table. Silent as they processed all the information that was dumped on them.

"That's a lot to take in" Masaru eventually concluded.

"Yeah, no kidding." Mitsuki responded "Did you know any of this?" she asked the patriarch.

"I was just as clueless as you are" Masaru quickly shook his head to signal 'no' "To think so much has happened in the past few months…"

"They grow up so fast…" Mitsuki's wistful face soon morphed to a somber one. "I just hope that Inko-san will get to continue to enjoy it…"

Returning to the topic of the missing child, Masari's expression turned somber as well "Yeah… let's hope that they will be alright…"

*sigh* "It was a long day… we should probably clean up and go to bed" the woman concluded the conversation as her husband got up.

"I'll take care of the dishes; could you go check on Katsuki?" Masaru asked from the kitchen as Mitsuki began to stand. Nodding in agreement, the ash-blonde went up the stairs and opened the door to her son's room.

Seeing the peaceful form of the sleeping Katsuki, she smiled at her son before closing the door.

At least her son was home tonight. But others weren't so lucky. And so Mitsuki found herself joining her hands together in prayer and whispering:

"Izuku Midoriya, please be safe"

* * *

Izuku was currently feeling a sense of elation that he had never felt before. Not even when he had thought he had super-strength as a quirk he had been this joyful.

After all, this time Izuku discovered his true quirk and there was even a witness! Sure he wasn't human, but it had definitely reacted to the display, in other words, this time there was no way to deny it… he has a quirk!

The boy's elation translated into a glee fit which he is currently in the middle of. The child bounced around happily in the clearing that he and the animal shared all while laughing loudly in joy and relief.

"I HAVE A QUIRK!" he yelled joyfully while hugging the startled creature which was surprised by the boy's sudden mood changes. One minute he was about to cry his eyes out, the next he was deep in thought and now; here he is hugging him with everything he has.

With the creature admitting to himself that it felt nice.

"I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW THIS TO EVERYONE!" Izuku yelled as he let go of the animal, preparing to activate his quirk once more.

Once he reached a sufficient distance as to not harm his companion, he swiftly performed a novice kicking motion that almost caused him to lose his balance…

…Only to have nothing happen.

"What?"

The ground didn't rise, not did it reform; nothing had happened, all Izuku did was kick the air.

Confused Izuku tried again, performing the same kicking motion and watching the ground for any changes.

Changes that didn't occur.

"Why is nothing happening?!"

Izuku asked worriedly as he began kicking rapidly, switching the kicking leg as soon as the other had hit the ground in what looked light an impromptu dancing maneuver.

A bad impromptu dancing maneuver at that.

Needless to say that soon the greenette found himself fallen on the ground having lost his balance, breathing heavily from the sudden exercise.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see the animal looking at him with a confused and worried expression on its face.

As the creature walked towards him, Izuku clutched the tall grass with his hands in frustration, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes "Why? Why wouldn't it work? I just did it… so why my Quirk went away again?".

Before he had the chance to continue his self-pitying, the four-year-old felt the animal's snout encouragingly nudge him. As if giving him a push to go up and try again.

Looking up he saw the animal walking towards the earth-column he had raised earlier, and then, with a swipe from its left paw to the column, it was sent flying in the same manner that it was raised: without even being touched.

It even had the same *BOOM* sound that Izuku heard when the column first rose.

The boy stared forward dumbfounded at the display. It looked exactly like what had happened a few moments ago when he raised the column… _'We got the same quirk?'_ Izuku thought, processing what had just happened.

Walking up to him and stopping in front of him, the animal took a pose of itself standing on all fours; nudging at Izuku after he was done.

"You want me to walk on all four?" The confused greenette asked the blind animal. In response, it only got into the same pose again.

Seeing nothing to lose, Izuku lowers himself and place his hands on the grassed ground, now on eye level with the mysterious creature.

As it began lifting its left paw, Izuku understood what it was doing and began mimicking its movements.

Lifting his left hand and moving it rightwards in a similar position to the creature, Izuku begins swiping it in conundrum to his instructor. The two went back and forth, practicing the swiping motion until the creature stopped moving but encouraged the boy to continue as it walked around him.

As it walked around the child, the furry animal moved its whiskers along his body as if he was inspecting it. Every once in a while, the animal nudged him with its snout on his legs or arms, correcting any imperfections he found in the child's form until he was satisfied.

By this point, Izuku was on complete autopilot, maintaining the form the animal left him in as he continued swiping the air in front of him.

Then, something unexpected happened. As Izuku was practicing, going back and forth with the motion that the creature showed him, he felt the animal's paw on his right hand, calling for his attention.

"You want me to stop?" he asks the brown animal who begins to take a few steps back.

Then, to Izuku's surprise, the animal had lifted its front paws and stomped on the earth with them, raising a new column from the ground in front of him and then turning to Izuku with an expectant expression.

"You… You want me to do what you did?" Izuku asked the creature. As if understanding him, the animal stepped away from the column, clearing a clear trail for Izuku to walk up to it.

Nodding his head, Izuku walked forward and tried the swiping motion he was taught…

...only to have nothing happening.

The distraught boy looks down in dejection, fear crawling up his spine at his failure and a new batch of tears threatening to spill.

However, the animal doesn't look disappointed. It just nudges Izuku with his snout and then gestures towards to column again, asking him to try again.

And so he tries again, and again, and again.

With each failure, the animal doesn't seem fazed and just continues to gesture towards the column again.

With each time he is about to give up and get up, he is stopped by the blind anomaly and is unable to do anything but continue.

With each minute passing, his doubt only increases and he begins to be afraid of what would happen should he be unable to succeed, _'Would I be stuck here forever?'_

Before attempting to swipe again, Izuku takes a deep breath to relax. Toes stabbing at the inside of his shoes and his right hand clutching the ground forcefully, Izuku lifts his left hand again in preparation to swipe it.

Moving his hand rightwards to prepare for the swipe a well-known feeling sets over the boy. A familiar vibration goes through him and his muscles, concentrating on his lower back.

As he begins to move his hand in the practiced swipe motion he focuses on the column before him. Allowing instinct to take over, Izuku feels his left arm's muscles stiffening and just like that…

*BOOM*

The column moves exactly like the one Izuku made did about an hour before.

For a few moments, Izuku stared at his doing. Feeling relief and elation at the same time. This was the first time that he ever succeeded in using his Quirk deliberately, and now that he had done it he can feel a heavy load let go of his chest.

The creature, on the other hand, doesn't look surprised. It almost looks proud. But before anything else can happen, it feels the crushing force of a hug from a crying Izuku on his side.

"THANK YOU! THANK-YOU-THANK-YOU-THANK-YOU-THANK-YOU-THANK-YOU!" the boy cries out as he hugs the furred mass.

No one, not even his own mother had ever done something like this. And yet this animal, the animal that he met just a few hours ago, had already done so much for him. Not only had it encouraged him but it had also guided him and helped him with his quirk. For the first time in forever, hope shined bright in the greenette's eyes.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH – ugh "

The boy stopped his rambling immediately once he noticed a particular detail _'He doesn't have a name and I didn't give him one…'_ the boy looked at the animal that had given him so much and a determined expression took over his face "That's not right. You need a name, let's see…"

The boy contemplated a name for the creature before him. Looking him up and down, he noticed its similarity to two animals he had encountered before in a zoo _'Hey… He kinda looks like this animal from the zoo… What was its name again… Badger? But… He doesn't have the legs or tail of one… If anything it looks like those mole things… Sooo, a Badger-mole? How does that work?_ "Is it a part of his Quirk? Then why I don't have a mutation if we have the same Quirk? *mutter* *mutter* *mutter*…"

The naming debate in the boy's head had quickly turned to a mumble spree again. *nudge-nudge* luckily the animal was already prepared and a quick nudge from its paw was enough to get the boy out of his stupor.

"Gah! - I did it again?" Izuku asked sheepishly as he rubbed his neck.

Looking at the creature, the boy remembered his earlier mission, and soon enough; he returned to it "You still need a name… you look like those badger and moles things and also you can control the ground so…"

As he contemplated many naming ideas, a smile began to stretch on the four-year-old's face as an ideal name was taking shape "I know! I think I'll call you…

… **Chima**!"

* * *

"Look! I think I found something!" one of the officers yelled as he noticed an anomaly in the forest. In front of him, the shrubbery was destroyed, as if somebody ran through it.

Arriving at his position, the rest of the search team, followed by Inko, inspected the site of damaged plant life.

"Well, something definitely went through here" One of the female officers commented as the team searched the area.

"Still, I doubt a four-year-old would stray from the path willingly…" Pointed out another officer, who thought they should keep searching elsewhere.

"Wait a minute, I think I found something!" An officer with jet black hair announced as he lifted a wrap of some kind of homemade candy.

Inko gasped in recognition "It's Izuku's!" that's the wrapping of the granola bar she gave him for the trip, Izuku was here!

"Should have taught the kid not to litter" One of the officers commented dryly. But before Inko got to reply about how sweet her son was, the black-haired officer spoke again.

"It doesn't matter now. The important thing is that the kid was here, which means we're on the right path. If we follow the destroyed shrubbery, we should be able to find him".

"You should leave the detective work for me, officer" the tired-looking detective sarcastically commented on his subordinate's analysis, which elicited a quick stupor from the man.

"But still, you got a point… let's follow this trail, officers *cough* and mother *cough*" the detective concluded as the officers shuffled in preparation of following the path.

Once everyone was organized, they began marching forward with one determined Inko thinking to herself _'Just wait Izuku. Mom's coming soon!'_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kashipan: Roughly translates to 'sweet bread'. This variant of the dish which had mentioned is a sweet bread filled with red bean paste. Other variants include Melon-pan and Mushi-pan. When I visited Japan I had the pleasure of tasting a variant of the dish which was filled with Ice-cream and I gotta say: When you visit japan you need to try this!
> 
> **Japanese striped snake: A non-venomous of snakes that inhabit japan.
> 
> I try to remain faithful to the Japanese setting of the story. That includes Fauna, cuisine, and everything I can incorporate to emphasize that the story takes place in Japan. (That means that when a breakfast scene will play the breakfast won't be comprised of eggs and bacon. Seriously, this is getting to the point of a fan-fiction cliche')
> 
> ***Our new character's name (Chima) is based on the Japanese language.
> 
> To be honest, I had plenty of trouble coming up with a name for Chima. I even had close to 25 different ideas that were mostly terrible.
> 
> I played around in google translate for hours until I struck gold.
> 
> I decided to take the Japanese word for badger [穴熊(pronounced 'Anaguma') and mole[土龍(pronounced 'Tsuchi Ryu' and can be translated to 'earth dragon')] Then I took the kanji for 'Dragon' and replaced it with the one for 'Badger' to get 土穴熊 or 'Tsuchi Anaguma'. Taking the last syllable from both words and you get Chima!


	5. Book 1 chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> This chapter had been beta-read by 41ternative. A big thank you for your hard work!
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER FOUR:

**COUPLED BY EARTH**

* * *

"I know! I think I'll call you … **Chima**!"

The smile on Izuku's face only became wider with pride after naming the creature before him. "So… what do you think?" The boy asked the animal, seeking his approval.

The animal, or Chima as he was now called, had a confused expression on his face.

_'_ _I guess he doesn't know what a name is…'_ the boy realized.

Seeing the unresponsiveness of the animal before him, Izuku walks up to him and begins to speak "It's the name I picked for you. Everybody has a name!" the boy exclaims in excitement and points at himself "I have one too! I'm Izuku! I-Z-U-K-U!" then he put his hand on the animal's forehead and spoke again "And now you have a name too! You're Chima! C-H-I-M-A! You like it?"

The animal listened to the boy's words while humming in understanding as the child rubbed his hand gently through his fur. Closing his blank eyes, Chima melted into the warm hand petting him and started to purr in affection, excepting his name.

"So Chima it is!" Izuku announced happily, proud of the name he came up for his new friend.

The two would have continued with their moment if a disturbance did not make itself known in an uproarious chorus.

*Growl*

*Growl*

The Growling of the boy's and Badgermole's stomachs echoed in the clearing the two shared, causing the former to lose his smile while the other seemed indifferent.

"I'm hungry, Chima" He whined in a low voice as the animal sniffed the air in search of food, stomach growling in hunger again.

Izuku adorably puffed his cheeks "You already ate my granola bars so you don't have an excuse, Chima." he pouted at the animal which was currently ignoring him.

Chima's stopped mid-sniff as he picked on a scent that was familiar to him. Confirming the existence of his target, the cub started walking towards the edge of the clearing with Izuku looking at him from behind Quizzically.

"Where are you going?" The child asked. All he got in response from the animal was a head-twitch which gestured for him to follow.

And so the two walked away from the clearing, entering the overgrown forest once again.

* * *

Walking through the woods alongside Chima, Izuku looked around the place they were traversing, taking in the details of this new environment in the process.

The trees were large and condensed in the thick forest, the orange light of the setting sun barely passing through. The ground beneath him was forsaken by the feet of man, uneven and filled with overgrowth that reached his waist and brushed softly against bare calves and shorts.

The scene around him made Izuku finally realize something that he had neglected to think about up until now. This revelation danced around the boy's head for a while. Causing his heart to plummet and a sense of unease to wash over him.

_'_ _I don't know how to go back'_ he thought sadly while skipping over an exposed root _'It's been a while... we were supposed to be at home by now… '_ tears began to gather in the corner of his eyes as a depressing thought crossed his mind _'Mom must be so worried… and what about the others? What have Kacchan and the senseis did after I left? … No one came looking for me. They really don't care… Just because they think I'm quirkless?'_

As the word crossed the Greenette's mind he breathed in relief and rubbed his watering eyes _'But I do have a quirk…'_ A smile slowly formed on Izuku's face as he looked at his companion whose head was submerged underneath the shrubbery _'And Chima cares…'_

Soon the trickling of flowing water had joined the sound of walking feet as the two emerged from the shrubbery into a small and shallow stream.

Finally noticing how thirsty he was, Izuku ran down to it and was soon followed by Chima. Having reached the small stream, Izuku knelt before the trickle and cupped water between his hands. Putting his hands in front of his mouth the boy began drinking the cool water with relief evident on his face.

_'_ _This feels so good…' the boy_ thought in satisfaction as his dry throat was filled with the water.

Chima, however, was much cruder in his drinking. The Badgermole, lacking hands, simply dumped his mouth into the steam and cupped water into his mouth with his tongue, an action which enticed a giggle out of the four-year-old.

Having quenched his thirst, Izuku wiped his mouth and turned to look at his still drinking friend _'He sure does drink a lot, and in a funny way too…' he thought_ in amusement as Chima didn't show any signs of stopping himself.

Deciding to look around to pass the time, Izuku took in the scene of the trickle and its surroundings.

Much like in the clearing that the two occupied about an hour ago, the tree line shadowed the remainder of the forest. Creating the illusion of seclusion from the rest of the world. Small plants dotted the riverside, mostly weeds or the occasional bush, but a few honeysuckles where placed in various locations across the place.

And one such honeysuckle behind Chima had caught the boy's attention.

The 2 meters' tall shrub sported large, oval, greyish-green leaves with a waxy texture, supported by branches that all emerged from the central stem like a fountain.

That, however, didn't matter to the boy. What mattered most were the rectangle-looking blue berries* that grew all across it. From the top to the bottom, the honeysuckle was decorated with many berries right there for the taking. Some were eaten before, be it birds or something else, Izuku didn't know. Nevertheless, a substantial number was still intact, ripe for the taking.

*Growl*

Izuku clutched his rumbling stomach with his hand. Watching the juicy-looking berries on the honeysuckle caused spit to build up in his mouth. He wanted to eat. And he wanted to eat **now**.

But… something stopped him. Like any parent should do, Inko had warned Izuku about eating wild plants. So, as much as Izuku wanted to forget her words and dig in, he knew he shouldn't.

Chima, on the other hand, didn't have any qualms about walking up to the shrub and picking a low berry between his teeth after he had quenched his thirst. Berry in his mouth, the Badgermole began chewing in delight. Much to the alarm of Izuku.

"Chima!" he yelled as he ran up to the cub in worry, "You shouldn't eat this. It might be pois…- "the boy's face scrunched in concentration "…poisanu- it might make you sick!" The boy warned, failing to pronounce the complicated word.

The animal, however, didn't seem concerned. All it did in response was pick another berry to eat, moaning in delight as its juices filled his mouth. Tempting Izuku to try in the process.

Izuku hesitated _'Mom said not to eat wild plants, but … Chima is doing it and he seems fine… and I'm_ _ **really**_ _hungry…'_ the boy contemplated as Chima went to eat another berry, enticing another grumble from Izuku's stomach.

_'_ _I'm sure Chima knows what he's doing…'_ Izuku tried to assure himself as he walked forward, having been tempted by the Badgermole's delight. _'I guess it wouldn't hurt to try…'_

Izuku hesitantly picked a berry from the shrub and held it for a moment. Getting the fruit near his mouth with shaking hands, the boy opened his mouth slightly and timidly bit a bit into the berry.

Once the taste registered on his tongue, Izuku's eye's shot wide open as a bright smile stretched across his face.

' _So sweet!'_ he mentally squealed, quickly biting into the berry again and indulging himself.

* * *

Naomasa Tsukachi scrambled through his pockets in search of a flashlight. Due to the receding light that came with nighttime a new light source was needed and luckily for them, they came prepared.

Finding his target, the detective pulls the flashlight out and turn it on instantly. He didn't realize how low the visibility was until he did so, though. As when he did, every surface that wasn't illuminated was plunged into darkness.

They were far away from any place that showed signs of human presence. The lights of the town below the mountain were easily masked by the trees above them and the uneven land caused the less cautious of them to stumble.

The fact that they needed to search vigilantly to find their target in the darkness didn't help either.

"Seriously, how far could this kid go?!" one of his fellow offices whined. They have been searching for hours… no kid could have gone this far…

Tsukachi frowned. This officer visibly took this assignment way too lightly. _'How can he act like this?!'_ he mentally screamed in frustration _'There is life on the line here…'_

"Quiet Dokeshi!" the man in charge, the sleep deprive detective, barked before signing "What are they teaching in the academy these days? In my day, they taught us to understand the importance of the mission!"

While the old detective continued to lecture his subordinates about the 'good old' days', an already routine occurrence, Tsukachi hummed in agreement to his first exclaim.

'He's right…' he sighed _'Ever since All Might came and the support for heroes reached an all-time high, the police has seemingly lost its importance… these days most of the guys coming in are goof-balls hoping to make an easy living while watching heroes from the sidelines…'_

While contemplating the state of affairs at the moment, the young officer's eyes landed on the sight of Inko Midoriya. The woman had been walking in the lead ever since they have found that food wrap, and currently a worried expression was etched on her face. One that had gone and worsened as the time passed without finding her son.

Looking at the woman's face, seeing the sadness and agony that washed through her in waves as she absently played with her thumbs, Tsukachi's expression steeled.

_'_ _But this doesn't mean we aren't needed…'_ he thought with a sense of pride _'…there are things that we do that heroes can't; we lead investigations; we provide support; we serve the law as much as heroes do;'_ Tsukachi gazed into the darkened tree line that currently housed their target _'And now… the only ones that can save this child are us! No heroes are here to help search for one missing kid, but we are!'_

Filled anew with determination, the officer planted his foot firmly as he walked forward. Now side by side with the child's mother, Tsukashi points his flashlight into the darkened woods, helping her see into the forest before them.

_'_ _That child's safety has been entrusted to us. I will not let it go to waste!'_

"Let's pick up the pace everyone!" he yelled to encourage his co-workers "We don't know how far he is, the faster we'll go the less of a chance we'll lose him!"

The older detective stopped his speech to eye his subordinate, a dumbfounded expression on his face "Well, I like your enthusiasm officer!" he bellowed with a dry laugh "Though I'm still the one calling the shots" he looked at Tsukachi in the eye, daring him to say otherwise.

"Y-yes, sir!" Tsukachi stuttered "I just got worked-up a bit"

"Doesn't change the fact you're right." his boss responded "let's pick up the pace slackers! We're losing moonlight here!"

With a few groans from an unnamed officer *cough* Dokeshi *cough* the squad had picked up their pace and begun walking forward faster.

Turning back to look forward, Tsukachi was stopped from doing so by looking at Inko. The mother had a small smile on her face as she said "Thank you" in gratitude.

"Oh, no need to thank me" Tsukachi averted his gaze as he tried to humbly dismiss the matter "I'm just doing my job to find him as an officer…" he rubbed the back of his neck before eyeing her again.

"Kind of like how you are doing as his mother; I guess…" he shrugged.

In return, however, the woman beside him slumped her head, a small frown became visible on her face.

"Doing my job as his mother…" she muttered in a whisper. _'Can I really say that?'_ she asked herself in her mind before announcing the answer out loud.

"N-no" she spoke in a low tone, heard only by Tsukachi.

"No? What do you mean by that?" he asked, having no idea what she meant.

"I-I" *breath* "I failed as his mother…" Inko managed to utter.

"Don't say that!" Tsukachi retorted, alarmed "He may be missing, but it had nothing to do with you and you're even…"

"No!" she yelled getting the other's attention in the process; stopping the entire search party "I **have** failed him… a mother should always support her son! No matter when or how… but when he needed it most I-I" tears flowed freely from the matriarch's eyes as her past failures flashed through her mind.

^ Izuku swiveled with his chair to face his mother, by doing so Inko saw his tear-filled-face and broken look. As the Midoriya matriarch tried to swallow the lump that formed in **her** throat, tears already building up, her son uttered one sentence which broke her dam.

"C-can I be a cool hero like him? E-even if I don't have a q-quirk?"

At this Inko broke. Waterworks at full power, she ran into her crying son and hugged him with all the strength her muscles allowed, sobbing herself as well. A burning sensation welled up in her eyes as she cried and cried….

"I'M SORRY IZUKU.I'M SO SORRY" ^

^ "I think you were imagining it Izuku," she said softly, trying to soften the blow she knew her words would land.

Izuku looked up at Inko with a devastated look "B-but it worked in the forest. I-I don't get it. It should work". Inko, struggling to keep her composure, hugs her son saying softly "Sometimes we see things that didn't happen, maybe it was like it for you now…".

"I failed him, I didn't give him what he needed and he suffered because of it… "Inko's voice became more strained as she spoke, her crying intensifying with time "WHAT KIND OF MOTHER AM I?!" she yelled in grief, hands grasping her shirt tightly and teeth clenched in an attempt to stop her whimpers.

Tsukachi stared at her shocked. What he was supposed to say to that? The woman was clearly distraught but he couldn't think of anything to say to help her…

"You haven't failed, _yet_ "the voice of the detective broke through the silence of the squad, causing all those who were present to look at him.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked through choked sobs "I have failed him, he even ran away and he is lost, how could you say I haven't failed?"

What followed was a moment none of the officers present would ever forget, the old detective actually opened up to someone. "You haven't failed, you made a mistake."

Inko looked confused and so, he elaborated "When a parent fails that means that's the end of the line, that there is no more hope for the child and it's the parents' fault for doing so…" The detective looked at the sky wistfully as he spoke, recalling old memories from the past "When you make a mistake, it is only temporary and it **can** be fixed. It's something we all do at some point in our lives, we **are** humans after all."

The detective looked at Inko in the eye daring her to question him "You haven't failed yet, Inko. Your son is still out there and he can be saved, your mistake can still be fixed. *sigh* All I ask is that when you find him, don-… don't do what I did. Don't repeat your mistake."

The officers were dumbfounded. Never and they mean **ever** have they heard the detective use words of wisdom like these, much less in that tone. In all honesty, the old detective was a mystery to all of them. Heck! Technically they shouldn't even address him as a detective!

Officially speaking the man was a sergeant**. Yet, he refused to be addressed by the title by ANY of his subordinates. Even back when he was a senior police officer*** he refused the be addressed to by the honorary title, always saying that he was unworthy to be called that.

In the end, only his higher-ups addressed him by his title, everyone else called him either 'boss' or 'detective' because of it. A weird dynamic if you asked Tsukachi but it was his boss' choice on what to be called.

It was the first thing that Tsukachi learned on his first day on the force. The moment he entered the building he was pulled away by the old man and was given a lecture.

If that wasn't enough to understand his character somehow than his next interaction with the man certainly was.

He was a rather cold man. He made no small-talk while on break and only got out of the office for lunch before coming right back in. At the end of the day, he was the last to leave and the first to arrive in the morning, leaving no room for anyone to get involved in his private life.

He was strict, harsh, had no qualms about breaking social formalities and if he wasn't his boss, Dokeshi would have certainly called him an asshole by now…

…Something that he actually did once when he **thought** he wasn't around…

…What transpired next would be forever remembered as their precinct's darkest hour...

So yes. The boss-man's decision to suddenly become a parenting guru was certainly a surprise for the entire squad. As far as any of them knew, he didn't even have a family.

It was on that night they have gained a new sense of respect for their old-geezer-of-a-boss. And a new curiosity to learn about their boss' past. But that's a mystery that is meant to remain unsolved.

"Now let's go, we got a kid to find" the old man concluded his speech and began walking forward again, resuming the search.

Not long after, the determined voices of Inko and the other officer (even Dokeshi who was moved to tears) roared out in a chorus:

"Right!"

* * *

**Naomasa Tsukachi**

**Quirk: Human** **Lie Detector**

**Description: This Quirk allows Naomasa to determine if a person is telling the truth by being in their vicinity.**

**Appearance: Naomasa is a tall man with short, black hair and somewhat-rectangular black eyes.**

**Affiliation: Police Force.**

**Age: 25.**

**Birthday: 4/4**

**Height: 180 cm.**

**Blood Type: A.**

**Favorite food: Doughnuts (Sue me).**

**Favorite thing: Baseball.**

* * *

"Oh! That was good!" Izuku proclaimed happily after stuffing himself with a handful of berries, face smeared with berry-juice. Besides him, Chima was still munching on the food they found, showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

After cleaning himself with the stream water from, Izuku stretched and sat next to his still-eating friend.

"How much can you eat, Chima? Don't you think it's a bit much?" he asked the cub in amazement as he munched on his twenty-ish berry.

The Badgermole, however, was to engrossed in his food to respond, ignoring the boy's question in the process.

Signing, Izuku laid his back on the ground and watched the night sky above him _. 'Wow…'_ he thought in wonder _'The sky is so pretty…'._

Above him, dozens of stars sparkled in the night sky. While admittedly, it was not a lot compared to other parts of the world; for Izuku - who grew up in a city all of his life with starless skies - it was breathtaking. _'why isn't there anything like this back home?'_ he asked _'Everyone need to see this…'_ the boy thought while getting lost in the stars' mesmerizing beauty, stretching his hand out in a futile attempt to touch them.

*Burp*

A strange sound had broken Izuku out of his trance and caused the boy to exclaim a silent "Huh?". Looking at the source of the sound, Izuku found Chima laying on the ground after stuffing himself, berry juice smeared across his face in the same manner it was smeared on Izuku's.

At the sight of the clearly overfed Chima, groaning in discomfort as he sluggishly tried to get up, Izuku could only laugh in humor at being proven right. "Looks like it was a bit much, huh Chiiima?" he sang between giggles, before walking up to the frustrated Badgermole and helping him up. An action that proved very difficult.

*Grunt* "Chima!" he cried "How much did you eat?!" he asked as he tried his best to help him up, to very little success.

Eventually, after a lot of pushes, pulls, and grunts Chima managed to get up with a tiny bit of help from Izuku. A four-year-old can't possibly lift a creature Chima's size after all, but it's the thought that counts.

"So now what?" the boy asked the Badgermole after the ordeal was over. "We got food and water, what do we do now?" the animal only responded with a shallow hum and stretched a bit, leaning on its front legs while stretching his hind legs and back, before looking at him again. The Badgermole equivalent of a shrug.

"You don't know?" Izuku looked at Chima with a contemplating gaze, trying to think of something to do _'We already drank and ate, and I don't feel very tired… and I don't want to walk in the forest while it's dark… at least I can see here with the moon out…'_ the boy muttered in his head, going over all of his options… _' Oh!'_ …before an idea came to mind.

Going on all four again, Izuku began performing the motion he was taught by Chima a few hours earlier and exclaimed "Since we got nothing to do… why not practice our quirks?!".

Understanding what the boy wanted, Chima raised his front paws before slamming them down on the ground. The motion was soon followed with a *Boom! * sound as a column of earth sprouted from the ground.

Izuku wasted no time and began practicing. Much like before, Izuku went through the motion he was taught by the Badgermole cub:

Stay on three limbs with only the left hand not touching the ground. Move the arm a bit to the right to build a bit more momentum and swiping quickly and in a rigid manner to the left.

Already expecting it, Izuku wasn't deterred when the movement caused noting to happen. Instead, he just pushed against the ground harder and went through the motion again and again.

Sometimes, his movements were flawless. Other times, he slipped with his footing or swiped in the wrong angle. But every time he made a mistake and got corrected by Chima, the frequency at which he made them decreased.

A half-hour later, Izuku was deep in trance. Going through the swiping motion flawlessly every time he tried and even succeeded a few times in moving the column that got replaced by Chima every time he destroyed it.

Every time the boy moves the column, the now almost familiar sensation of his clenching muscles and vibrations that travel from his right hand to his lower back flows through his body.

Enough times that he began to realize that the sensation and his quirk are connected…

_'_ _Hm…'_ he contemplated as he moves yet another earth pillar to the side, muscles relaxing and the now-familiar vibrations fading until the boy no longer feels them.

_'_ _Every time I use my quirk it feels weird…'_ Izuku thinks while looking at his right hand, having left the stance he had been for the past half-hour. _'My hand starts shaking and that shaking goes to my back and I can also feel my body becoming … harder? What do you call it? Like you feel it's a bit harder to move-but-also-you-become-more-sturdy… like-what-happens-when-you-close-your-hand-really-tight-but- I-guess-it-still-feels-like-I -can-move-the-fingers-of-the-hand*inner mutter*-*inner mutter*-*inner mutter*'_

Deciding to test the connection, Izuku goes back into the now practiced stance and prepares another swipe with his left hand. As he finishes the motion and the column should be moving, Izuku shifts his attention to both of his arms. Looking over his left for the feeling of stiffness that usually accompanies the use of his quirk and the right one for any vibration that should go through it.

_'_ _If those feelings are a part of my quirk than I should feel them when I'm using it…'_ he contemplated between his attempts at trying to use his power _'If they are, I could find a way to use my quirk every time I try! I won't give up on this!'_

Psyching himself up, the greenette continues with his experiment. All while Chima watches from the side, observing the boy's practice and hums to himself quietly in approval every time he gets closer to his goal.

Meanwhile, the still-practicing Izuku starts to notice something. Now that he is actively looking for the vibrations and stiffness his body adopts when he uses his quirk, he manages to notice it. Though, not in the way he thought.

So far - due to having to split his attention – Izuku hadn't been able to move the column Chima made for him. However, every once in a while he notices the slightest vibration going through his right arm or his left arm muscles clenching by a tiny margin.

Sometimes – though the boy failed to notice it – tiny pebbles were launched weakly to the side as a result of his movements, something that Chima's attention did pick on.

Those sensations he felt were nothing major but they were there nonetheless, all he needed now to confirm his theory is to use his quirk properly on the column while feeling the clenching and vibrations at their full force.

And so, the young boy continued on his endeavor for quite some time until it all clicked.

Once again as he began to move his arm to the left, the vibrations he had been looking for traveled across his arm, climbing up to his shoulder before traveling down his spine and finally concentrating at its' base, which from there seemed to pulse with his entire body.

His left arm's muscles tightened in a now-familiar manner, becoming more rigid while moving with a precise motion: a straight line with no curvature to it at all.

These feelings occupied the boy's attention as the column of earth was sent flying into the distance, forgotten.

Izuku sat there, on his knees, looking at his hands in bewilderment as his theory was confirmed. ' _I was right…'_ the boy thought, struggling to process the information _'Those feelings_ _ **are**_ _connected to my quirk! That means… I can figure out how to use it all the time!'_

Wasting no time, Izuku immediately placed both of his hands at the ground; trying to find what he was looking for… the vibrations _'The shaking didn't come from me… they came from the ground. If I find them that could help me figure the rest out!'_ Closing his eyes and grasping the earth with his fingers as tightly as his little hands would allow, the boy begun his self-imposed mission to master his quirk…

...Little that he knew THAT would be a mission that would take YEARS to complete… but that's a story for another time.

Izuku stayed silent as he looked. Focused entirely on his hands, he tried to feel those vibrations again. He looked and searched but to his disappointment, he could find nothing.

"I don't feel anything…" he turned to his companion.

Said companion just looked at the boy before him with a blank expression. As if he saw the problem the child was having and how to fix it but thought that it should have been obvious.

Getting up, the Badgermole walked up to the young boy before treading one of its paws in the dirt.

Izuku looked confused "Touch the ground?" he asked, "I have been doing it for a while but I didn't feel anything…"

Chima shook his head, stating that the boy was mistaken before closing its eyelids and taking on a contemplative expression on his face. As if he was focusing on something.

"You want me to focus?" he asked, figuring out what the animal wanted him to do." I **have** been focusing, but I didn't feel anything!" Izuku exclaimed. Clearly frustrated about his failure.

Chima just shook his head again while treading his paw through the dirt. The boy watched as the animal walked towards him and nudged him with one of his paws while making the focused expression again.

"I was focusing on myself? Not the ground?" Izuku asked, understanding the animal's miming.

Chima nods his head before returning to where he was before. Watching the boy expectantly as he laid down on the ground.

Izuku put one hand on the ground before closing his eyes again. This time, not focusing on his arm, but on the earth it grasps.

'Focus on the earth…' he mumbles to himself in his head. The boy focuses on the earth he feels. The ground beneath his palm and dirt between his fingers and nails.

The sounds of the stream and insects around him became distant as the scents of the forest faded from his grasp. Soon the feeling of the night wind on his skin disappeared too and he was left alone with the ground beneath his hand.

The boy was in a complete trance. Mind going blank in the void that he found himself in with no stimuli to register.

Suddenly, the boy was startled from his quiet by the tingle on his palm. Yelping, Izuku backed away and found himself in the forest again. Looking around at the scene he was distant from for the last couple of minutes the boy shifted his gaze into his hand before he realizes what had occurred.

"I felt it…" he whispered. "I felt it!" with excitement Izuku slams his right palm into the earth again and closes his eyes. At first, he found it hard to focus due to his excitement, but after he calmed down he found himself alone with the earth once again.

This time, he didn't back away from the tingle of the vibrations. Instead, he focused on it until the barely noticeable vibrations were intensified. The occasional vibration became a continuous one that knew no stop as its intensity was increased greatly. Izuku remained silent for a while as the seemingly mindless and chaotic vibration went through his body- enter through the hand, ride on the arm, and slide on the spine into its base.

The boy smiled as he lifted his right hand from the ground, the vibration fading in the instant he did so.

"Thanks, Chima…" he thanked his teacher, who simply nodded at him; looking like a proud parent who just watched his child ride on a bike for the first time.

Izuku's gaze landed on the ground again "But it took me this long to feel it…" he mumbled under his breath "I can't waste time trying to focus on the earth every time I try to use my quirk…" he signed before steeling his expression "I still need to work hard!".

The greenette soon went on his knees again and placed his right hand on the ground again "And I can start now!"

Closing his eyes, Izuku once again attempted to focus on the ground beneath his palm. Letting the world around him fade again, he reached out to the earth and looked for the vibration that had started to become familiar to him.

After a while, the vibration once again went through the boy's body and allowed the boy to focus on it. In doing so, Izuku found new information about this rumbling _'It feels weaker…'_ he frowned at the realization.

It was true, not only the vibrations were a lot weaker from when he used his quirk… but they weren't strong at all. The only reason he could sense them was that his mind instinctively blocked out everything else… If it didn't, then he couldn't have ever sensed it as he is now.

This situation was unacceptable. He couldn't let himself be weakened like this every time he used his quirk if he wanted to be a hero. He needed to strengthen his ability to sense these vibrations, but how?

Izuku contemplated this deeply as he stared at the hand that he used to sense these vibrations _'I need to make this ability stronger… I can sense the shaking with my hand… what would happen if I used them both?'_

Having a theory, Izuku decided to test it by placing both of his hands on the ground. Focusing once again on the ground before him, Izuku closed his eyes and let the world around him fade once more. Eventually, he managed to focus on the earth once again and the results were amazing.

The vibration was definitely stronger now as they traveled through both of his hands towards his lower back were they united into a single picture.

Izuku immediately backed away in shocked happiness. It had worked! By adding more points of entry for the vibrations their intensity had increased dramatically. They were now on par if not stronger than the vibrations he felt when he used his quirk earlier! And the boy was certainly happy about it.

"It worked- It worked!" he jumped around happily "The shaking was so much stronger now!". Not noticing where he was going, the child suddenly heard a huge splash sound as the water was kicked up into the air around him.

In his excitement, Izuku had jumped into the stream beside the place he practiced. Drenching his clothing- especially his shoes and socks- in water.

"Awwww" he signed looking at his drenched shoes, soggy socks already chilling his feet "S-so c-c-cold" Izuku whined in discomfort as he walked out of the river and sat beside Chima.

Setting aside his shoes and socks, Izuku signed in relief "Ughh… much better".

Having recovered from his 'moonlight swim' Izuku once again returned to thinking about the progress he recently made.

_'_ _When I added another hand I felt the shaking much better…'_ he contemplated while also being prideful that his deduction turned out to be true.

Izuku looked at his bare feet _'What would happen if I add my feet in? can I even do it with them?'_ Having nothing to lose Izuku went on all four and tried to focus once more.

This time, it didn't take long for Izuku to feel the earth's vibrations.

Izuku was awestruck. the vibrations of the earth were **much** stronger now. It was amazing! A deep humming vibration that seemed to have no law to whatsoever. It felt wild, raw, resilient, and powerful. By merely having these vibration throb through his body, Izuku felt as if he became a part of the earth itself.

"Wow…" he whispered, overwhelmed by the sheer force he felt run through him. It felt like the lines where he stopped and the earth began became blurred. It was as if he was the earth and the earth was him. That if he moved the earth would move…

_'_ _That's it!'_ he realized _'That's how it works!'_.

Wasting no time, the boy immediately ran in front of the earth column provided by Chima. Getting on all four, he let the vibrations run through his body and concentrate on his lower back. Soon enough, the line between Izuku and the earth lost its feasibility and the boy began making his move.

Lifting his left hand from the ground, Izuku felt the intensity of the vibrations weaken by a margin. Paying no mind to it, however, he started the same movement he had practiced so much over the last day.

Remembering the need to pick his target, Izuku leveled his vision on the column he intended to move while his left arm reached its rightmost point of the motion. Not a millisecond after, on the exact moment Izuku began swiping leftwards, the muscles on the boy's left arm stiffened in the exact manner he had hoped they would.

*BOOM! *

And just like that… the column moved.

Though, calling it like that wouldn't do the boy's feat justice.

No. The earth column was launched in incredible force to the air and into the forest, creating a loud crushing sound as it impacted an unseen target with massive force.

Izuku just stared for a moment. This was much stronger than any kind of launch he had managed to pull off before… Deliberate or not.

This stupor, however, was short-lived as the boy quickly registered what had just occurred.

"I-I did it…" he whispered in disbelieve "I did it!"

This was amazing! He finally managed to activate his quirk on command! He wouldn't be a liar anymore and Kacchan would finally be friends with him again!

This was undoubtedly the best day of Izuku's life! He finally mastered the activation of his quirk, he wouldn't be ostracized by the other kids anymore **and** he had a new friend in the form of Chima.

Saying that Izuku Midoriya was on cloud nine right now would be the understatement of the century.

Jumping around happily near the edge of the stream, the boy was having the time of his life. Laughing in happiness, relief, and anticipation for the future. The boy let it all out, all those negative emotions that plagued him for almost a year were leaving his body and dissipating in the air. He had never felt any better.

"Thank you so much Chima!" he exclaimed as he tackled the surprised Badgermole, hugging his snout tightly and putting his cheek on the Badgermole's forehead.

The Badgermole, though startled at first, soon relaxed and melted too into the hug, purring in affection.

_'_ _Chima is so warm…'_ he thought sluggishly, having been exhausted by his training 'he's fluffy too…' he giggled.

The moment the two shared was unfortunately brought to an abrupt end, though.

*Rustle*

The shrubbery in the direction that Izuku launched the earth column at were suddenly starting to sway violently. As if something was furiously trudging through it.

*Stomp! *

As if to confirm this suspicion the sound of stomping feet soon joined the chorus of rustling leaves.

Both boy and Badgermole tensed at the sounds that were getting closer. Izuku was starting to shake in fear as his companion ceased it's purring and turned its head in the direction of the noise.

"Ch-Chima…" Izuku whispered, clearly terrified by the approaching **thing** as he still hugged the Badgermole for comfort" What is this?".

This was not like the time earlier today when he met Chima. Back then his head sure was scared… running through every possible scenario and wary of his safety. His body, on the other hand, was calm back then. Like it knew it was Chima and that the Badgermole was a friend and not a threat.

This time though, no such feelings were within Izuku's body. Both mind and body were utterly petrified by the approaching threat.

His knees were weak; his mouth was dry; his teeth were clenched and his entire body shook like it was being electrified.

This was a kind of fear Izuku had never experienced. It was stronger than the fear he felt when he watched villains on his computer; It was greater than the one he felt when Kacchan or his followers were going to beat him up; It was more petrifying that the fear he had when his mother got angry at him…

And it was because, for the first time in Izuku's existence, the boy felt as if his own life was in danger.

*Stomp*

A dark-brown paw emerged from the shrubbery, digging into the earth with sheer force. The paw was big and scarred, obviously belonging to an experienced creature that had already reached maturity. Its black and sharp claws glinted in the moonlight as another of its paws exited the bushes that concealed it.

Then the head came out. The animal's head was light-brown with brown eyes. Its' long muzzle ended with a pitch-black nose and sported a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, all of which were on full display as the animal growled at the two before it. The animal's rounded ears leaned forward right now as if it had listened to them for a while now.

However, the most prominent feature of the behemoth before them was the large bruise between its eyes and on its forehead. Blood dripped from its' muzzle as it eyed the two in clear anger.

Before Izuku and Chima was a full-grown Ussuri brown bear****, and it looked **pissed**!

Soon enough, the bear's body emerged into view, a sight that did little to elevate Izuku's fear.

The bear was massive, easily larger than Chima himself. It sported a terrifying 2.5 meters in terms of length and could easily squash Izuku with just one foot! The bear's muscular body was riddled with scars of scuffles past but did nothing at making the Bear looking any less imposing.

For a moment, no movements were made around the scene. Both parties were eyeing each other, one with a wary look while the other in a furious one.

The stalemate was ended soon, though. For as soon as the bear landed its gaze on Izuku, the boy shrieked in horror and stumbled back, stepping on a branch in the process.

THAT was the wrong move.

"RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The bear roared in fury, charging at the due with intent to kill. Izuku, still clutching to Chima for dear life could only do one thing:

"AHHHHH!"

* * *

It's safe to say that the Ussuri bear did **not** expect to be awoken by a boulder.

So far, the bear's day had been pretty good. It was well fed and it had water for days thanks to that stream nearby. There were no other Ussuri bears in the area either, so its territory was also under no threat.

It had seemed that the bear's day was going to be a one of relaxation and napping. Maybe even the occasional back rub against a tree trunk to get a good scratch there…

The bear was just in the middle of one of those napping sessions when he was violently awoken.

By a **boulder**.

He was just there, minding his own business and napping peacefully, not disrupting anything at all.

Then. Out of the freaking wood-works, a loud, crashing, *BOOM! * echoed throughout the forest. Startling the wildlife around it and causing the bear the flutter its eyes open, clearly groggy from waking up so suddenly.

Looking around it in tired confusion the bear failed to notice the huge mass hurtling towards it at neck-breaking speeds.

*CRASH! *

And just like that, the bear was struck in the forehead by the boulder, instantly knocking him out.

Coming to, the bear immediately hissed at the pain its face was in. A large bruise formed over his forehead and between its eyes. Blood running down his snout and into the ground…

Needless to say, the bear was **pissed**!

It would find whoever dared hurl that rock at it and kill him. No one should pose a threat to him in his own territory, and he would make sure of that.

Darting his head around, the bear soon heard a high-pitched voice ring out into the forest…

In the exact same direction, the boulder came from…

Not needing that much brainpower to figure out what happened, the bear trudged heavily forward in the direction of the perpetrator, determined to drive it away or if need be: **end** it.

* * *

"AHHHHH!"

The blood-curdling scream that escaped the four-year-old's mouth was the only thing he could do in the face of the bear charging at them with the intent to kill.

There was nothing else he could do. Compared to the bear Izuku was beaten in every category. He wasn't as strong so he couldn't defend himself; he wasn't as fast so he couldn't run away; he wasn't as intimidating so he couldn't drive the bear away…

The young boy was frozen with fear. Shaking in his oversized red shoes and hugging Chima's neck as if his life depended on it…

…Which it was.

_'_ _I-Is t-this it?'_ he managed to utter in his head through rampant thoughts _'I'm going to die here?'_. Izuku clenched his eyes shut, preparing himself to face his fate and not daring to look at the thing that was about to kill him in his final moments. Opting instead to let the images of those he loved to be his final sight 'Mom … Dad … I'm so sorry for not coming home…'

Tightening his grasp on his companion, Izuku bid farewell to his new friend, tears flowing down his cheeks as he resigned himself to his fate _'Chima… I'm sorry that you need to come with me… but we'll still be together… Right?_ '

Luckily for the boy, the Badgermole besides him had no plans of either of them dying.

Unsure about his ability to fight the bear seeing as it was much bigger than him–not to mention that Izuku could get caught in the middle- Chima decided to choose plan B…

…To get the heck out of there!

Wasting no time, Chima bolted in the bear's opposite direction and ran for dear life, a startled Izuku dangling for his neck.

Getting snapped out of his fear-induced paralysis Izuku stumbled as a new kind of terror settled within his mind.

The boy was now dangling off the side of Chima, clutching at his neck as to not be left behind as his bare heels smacked against the ground, bruising them with every hit.

"Ow!" he yelled as a particularly hard rock was smacked against his left foot. The pain, however, was soon forgotten as the boy looked at the stream-site the two had just left.

Dread formed within the boy at the sight that he saw, the bear was chasing them, and it sure was fast.

"He's after us, Chima!" Izuku warned his current mount, encouraging him to go faster while also commentating on what's happening.

Chima ran as fast as he could, dodging trees and other obstacles with haste as Izuku dangled from his left side, kept attached only by his arms around Chima's neck.

"We need to go fas-Ow!" The greenette began but stopped as his feet hit the ground again, causing the Badgermole to stumble a bit and the bear to catch up to the two faster.

_'_ _I'm slowing us down!'_ he realized. The terror within him surged as the hope of escape diminished, they couldn't escape like this!

With his feet flailing in the air and trying to not touch the ground, Izuku warned his companion of what's about to happen "I'm going to climb on your back, okay, Chima?!".

In response, the Badgermole let out an acknowledging grunt. Telling the boy to proceed while also managing to sound like he was sarcastically saying 'Took ya long enough!'.

Swaying back and force as he dangled from Chima's side, Izuku attempted to place his right foot on the creature's back.

As he struggled, tongue sticking out in concentration, the Badgermole shifted his weight to the side, trying to keep his balance and speed in the face of the ever-approaching threat.

"I got it!" Izuku bellowed in happiness after he managed to hook his right foot on the back of Chima's neck.

"Ughhhhhh!" Pushing with all of the muscles on the right side of his body, Izuku grunted as he attempted the mount himself on Chima's back. Slowly, the boy's body swiveled as he changed his position on the Badgermole.

"Whoa!" Izuku screamed in fright, heart sinking as his sole foot on the Badgermole's back had almost lost its grip. Curtesy of a dangerous tilt from Chima to avoid an incoming tree.

"B-be careful Chima!" Izuku asked his companion, fearing the results of another turn such as this in his state.

Luckily, no such shift was repeated and soon he managed to get his calf on Chima's back as well.

"Phew…" he sighed in relief. The most dangerous part of the operation was done and the boy was relieved and thankful for the new stability he got.

Finally, with tremendous exertion from the four-year-old, Izuku's right thigh settled on Chima's back.

Now Izuku could swivel himself into a sitting position on the Badgermole's back, an action that he had done as soon as he was able to.

"Uh…" Izuku signed in both relief and exhaustion, hugging Chima's neck to stay atop of him. With Izuku on Chima's back, the former would no longer be a hindrance to the latter and there was finally a chance that the two would escape unharmed.

"RAAAAHHHH!"

Of course, that's when the bear decided to remind the two that the chase was still on and they were not out of the woods yet, literally.

Having been brought back to reality, the two forgot all about their little victory and fear soon returned to eat at their minds as only one thought coursed through both human and Badgermole:

"Faster, Chima! Faster!" Having human vocal cords, Izuku was the only one to voice that thought. But that did not stop Chima from doing just that.

Both bear and Badgermole zoomed around the forest in speeds that would not have embarrassed a speed-quirk user, swaying and turning, switching direction every second in an incredible chase. One side coming up with elaborate turns and dodges in an attempt to lose the other who kept on chasing.

All the while, little Izuku was still sitting atop of Chima, hugging his neck to stay balanced as his body rocked up and down from Chima's movements. The poor boy receiving bruises and lacerations from the low branches hitting him from his position atop of Chima, who receive some of them as well.

Glancing behind them, Izuku paled as he saw the sight of the bear fast approaching, having almost caught up to the two and ignoring a low branch that cut through his shirt in the process.

_'_ _He's too fast!'_ Izuku screams in his head, trying to come up with something to help as a new tear is cut on his shorts. "Chima!" He addresses his companion "He's catching up! We need to go even faster! "

As soon as the words leave his mouth, Izuku regrets saying them. Looking at his friend, the greenette notices the state the Badgermole is in; much like himself, Chima is covered in bruises and cuts, all from bumping with stray tree-trunks and branches; he's fur was dirty and messy, definitely as his hair was; And the most important detail of them all was the state of Chima's stamina.

The Badgermole was pushing his limits. Chima was running around in top speed for a very long time, all while carrying Izuku from his neck or on his back, no less! Not to mention all the turns and sudden direction changes in an attempt to lose the bear chasing them…

Chima was on his last legs and Izuku could see it.

Apparently, the bear could see it as well, as he let out a suspiciously victorious sounding "Roar!". Preparing to have its revenge on the two younglings.

And if all of **that** wasn't enough! It appeared that the universe felt especially cruel towards the two tonight.

The chase was now going for an absurd amount of time. Both bear and Badgermole were exhausted and in clear need of rest "Just a little longer, Chima! …" Izuku tried to encourage the Badgermole cub "Just a bit longer and we'll be safe!" Izuku pats Chima's head and looked forward.

The dark forest around them could no longer be seen at the edge of Izuku's vision.

Instead, he saw something he saw only awhile earlier near that stream, the night sky.

'We're almost out of the forest…' Izuku signed in relief. Sure, that wouldn't solve the bear problem but at least he and Chima wouldn't get hit by branches anymore. At this point, the child was going to take what he could get.

What Izuku **wasn't** willing to take, however, was to be met with the loss of earth to run on in their way.

As the two finally got out of the forest and were graced by the sight of the night sky, an unwanted sight also greeted them.

Right before the two was a Cliffside. A. Literal. Cliffside.

After all of this, to be stopped by something like this?! Both boy and Badgermole were distressed, an expression of dread creeping up their faces.

Having reached his limit, Chima soon collapsed into the ground near the edge of the cliff. An action that was accompanied by a startled yelp from Izuku who was still on his back.

_'_ _Nowhere to go…'_ Izuku came to this realization as the bear that chased them got out of the forest as well. Exhaustion was written across its face from the strenuous activity it just pulled.

Nevertheless, it continued on its way towards the two, not letting its animosity falter for a second as it huffed and puffed like the Badgermole it was targeting.

_'_ _There is nowhere to run…'_ Izuku analyzed his situation in the hopes of coming up with a solution, heart sinking further and further as each new piece of dreadful information was pointed out by his analytical mind. _'And Chima is too tired to run away again…'_ Izuku eyed his exhausted partner, worried for his well-being' _Is this it…?_ '

Izuku rubbed his hand through Chima's head in a calming manner. If this was really the end that meant it was his last chance to say this.

"Thank you Chima…" he began, staring right into Chima's eyes despite it being a one-sided gesture "You did so much for me today…" tears were starting to build up in the boy's eyes as he recounted his short adventure with the Badgermole "You taught me what my quirk was and how to use it; You showed me the way to some delicious berries and water; You even saved my life! … But I want to thank you for something else you did…"

Izuku leaned down and hugged Chima's head with as much force as he could muster, pressing his cheek and burying his face in the Badgermole's fur as he thanked him for the most important thing he did to him. Something that nobody else ever did since he was proclaimed quirkless "T-thank you for being my friend! …" he cried into Chima's ear,

who was dumbfounded by the boy's speech.

Finally, Izuku leaned back and looked at the bear approaching them slowly, as if he was so confident of his victory that he didn't bother to finish it quickly.

Izuku scowled at the bear as he began climbing down from Chima's back "You did so much for me, Chima…" Izuku said, his left leg touching the ground, much to the protest of Chima. "So I want to do something for you too…" he finished, trying to dissuade the Badgermole from its protest.

Izuku stood between Chima and the approaching bear, not lifting his gaze from the upcoming threat as it came closer ever so slowly.

Getting on all four, the boy lifted his head to stare daggers at the bear "If we can't run then we can fight!" the greenette psyched himself up out loud, finally putting a stop to Chima's protests.

"You're too tired to keep going, Chima…" Izuku began. The boy reached out into the ground, tapping into its power as he felt its vibrations course through his body before settling into his lower back. The world around him disappeared once again, leaving him alone with the earth's vibrations once more. Only this time it was accompanied by a rhythmic low beat that drummed through him as well.

It didn't matter to him that he couldn't see the bear anymore, he was still going to do his best.

He was going to do whatever it takes to protect his friend, just like his idol. Just like All Might protected everyone with a smile on his face and was their hero, Izuku would do the same for him. Forcing a shaky smile on his face, Izuku yelled out load the words he hoped to one day say to someone else, never imagining that day would come so soon.

"I'm gonna be your hero, Chima!"

*Smack*

Before the battle between bear and boy could commence, Izuku felt a swat on the back of his head.

Getting thrown back into reality, the boy quickly turned around to see who was the one the smack him like that.

Only to find Chima glaring at him in a scolding manner, his tail swaying left and right as it came to a stop.

"Chima?!" He asked, bewildered. "Why did you do that?!" The boy rubbed the back of his head, tendering to his still sore nape. _'Why did Chima do this?'_ the boy tried to wrap his mind around what had happened.

The Badgermole only scoffed in response. It eyed Izuku disapprovingly. Like he did something wrong and it should have been obvious what.

Under the gaze of the Badgermole, Izuku soon figures out why he responded the way he did.

Sure, using his quirk he could theoretically throw a rock or two at the bear… but to do that he needed to block all of his other senses.

He can't do that in a fight. He'll just put himself in danger and it will be up to Chima to save him again. Something he couldn't do in his state.

"Sorry…" the boy whispered but was quick to regain his previous demeanor "B-but, you can't fight him by yourself!" the boy tried to reason with his friend "I can't just leave you alone!"

The Badgermole hummed in approval, admitting that indeed he couldn't. Chima began to walk forward before stopping by Izuku's side and facing forward in a steeled expression.

Chima's message was clear. Neither of them could face the bear alone. Chima was too tired and Izuku was too inexperienced.

Together, however… they stood a chance.

Looking forward as well, Izuku steeled his expression as well in the face of the coming threat. Going into his stance again and swallowing the lump in his throat, the four-year-old prepared himself for the fight of his admittedly-short life.

Both boy and Badgermole stood their ground in the face of the bear in front of them. Said creature was now nearly upon them preparing a swipe at Izuku's head that would undoubtedly kill the boy should it land.

Chima growled towards his opponent, signaling to Izuku that he would be the one to attack first.

Izuku nodded and hummed quietly in response, preparing himself for the fight that was about to ensue. Fists clenched on the ground, the boy was waiting for the opening shot.

Not a second later and Chima was already moving. Lifting his frontal paws and his back from the ground, Chima growled in a challenge and as he began to fall. Paws slamming into the ground with tremendous force, a huge column of earth was launched and hit the bear square in the gut, enticing a furious roar from the pain.

"RAAAAHHHH!"

With the bear flinching back, Chima turned to Izuku.

"RAH!"

Roaring in a commanding manner, as if saying 'NOW!', the Badgermole backed away as the boy sidestepped while still on all four to be directly behind the column.

Tapping into the ground once again, the boy lost all feeling of the outside world as he concentrated.

This time though, it mattered not if he could perceive the bear.

Since his target was exactly on the other side of the column, all it took from Izuku was just a powerful punch directly into it.

The earth column was blasted forward. It didn't take long and soon the sound of earth hitting flesh was heard by the duo.

"RRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The bear's pain-filled roar vibrated throughout the forest, startling a flock of birds out of the woods in their panic.

The column had hit the bear in the face. Directly. In. The. Face.

The Ussuri bear clutched his injured snout with his paws as if trying to ease his pain by doing so. Its nose was bleeding; not to mention he probably had a few broken teeth and a broken nose.

Putting the paws down, the bear gazed in the direction of the duo that he tried to attack. The bear was **livid**. He was never in such pain before, and he would make sure that he won't be for the rest of his life…

…By killing the two that managed to do it.

"RAAHHH!"

Roaring, the bear charged once again at Izuku and Chima. Not wasting any time, it ran forward at top speed. Preparing to tackle his target and swipe him away.

Izuku and Chima stood frozen. Neither had expected to cause this much damage.

If Izuku was honest with himself, he felt bad about injuring the bear the way he did.

The bear's fury had paralyzed them both in fear. Both felt the deathly aura emanating from the predator and were frozen like a deer in headlights.

The bear wasted no time and capitalized on this, sweeping his paw at Chima and sending him skidding away.

"RAHH!"

"CHIMA!"

Chima was sent flying, roaring in pain and Izuku screamed in worry for his friend. It didn't look like the bear drew blood, but it hurt nonetheless.

Coming to a stop, Chima shook his head to get rid of his dizziness and took a look at the scene he was sent flying from.

Only to have his blood frozen.

The bear was towering above Izuku. Standing on his rear legs, the fully-grown bear looked infinitely larger than the four-year-old boy in front of it. Izuku himself had nowhere to go. He stood petrified at the edge of the cliff, not even half-a-step away from plummeting to his death.

The boy looked up, tear shining in his eyes, at the behemoth before him that would soon become his killer. If things were to continue as they were, Izuku Midoriya would die.

Not wasting a second, Chima ran forward and tackled the bear with the entirety of its weight, forcing it on all four again.

The two animals soon entered a claw-fight. Both trying to slash and bite at their opponent and gain the upper hand as they scrambled about atop on another.

Izuku was left out. Unable to enter the fight himself or throw a rock in fear of hitting Chima. The boy was forced to play commentator, cheering when Chima bit the bear and gasping in worry when the bear slashed at the Badgermole.

*Swiiiipe! *

"RAAHH"

It looked as if Chima had finally gained the upper hand as he managed to land a slash onto the bear's broken nose, enticing a cheer from the boy.

That success, however, was short-lived as the bear soon regained its bearing, now angrier than ever. Wrapping its frontal legs around Chima's body, the bear began swinging the Badgermole to gain momentum.

The bear slammed Chima's body on the ground repeatedly, all to the screams of a terrified Izuku.

Just as the boy had enough and began to charge forward into the fray himself, the bear threw Chima violently at him.

Badgermole hitting Child, they were both sent flying. Both Izuku and Chima hit the ground a few times as they went before finally; They were both hurtled past the Cliffside.

"AHHH! "

Izuku screamed in panic, besides him Chima was flailing wildly in the air, obviously distraught by the sudden disappearance of solid ground.

Izuku's gaze soon turned to the ever-approaching ground. The scared boy closed his eyes as tears escaped their sides, no wanting to look at the frightening sight.

That was the last memory Izuku had from that night.

When the boy opened his eyes once more, an unfamiliar sight would have been revealed to any of those watching.

Izuku's eyes were no longer those innocent shining green orbs filled with child-like wonder.

Instead, those eyes – which were currently in a scowl – were glowing in a heavenly white and lacked any sort of any emotion Izuku should have had. The only thing those eyes showcased was raw. Unadulterated. Power. Power beyond anything seen on the planet for thousands of years.

(Not) Izuku wasted no time and began spinning in midair. As if capturing the wind itself as he moved in the groundless space, the wind began to gather below him and Chima, forming massive a vortex of air.

Having halted their fall, (not) Izuku looked upwards and launched both of them higher into the air, Chima flailing beside him in panic all the while.

In less than a second, (not) Izuku had flown higher than the cliff itself, towering over the entirety of the forest as he glared at the bear that was now below him.

Said bear looked up in astonishment. It wasn't everyday one was seeing a kid riding a freaking **tornado** after all.

The boy soon began his descent to the ground, putting down the startled Badgermole in the process.

Once his feet were on solid ground again (not) Izuku began moving his arms in circular motions, willing the winds that formed the tornado to expand and spin rapidly around him and Chima.

Both bear and Badgermole were awestruck. The small child in front of them was controlling the wind like it was nothing. Like it was **less** than nothing.

The boy, however, ignored them both. Opting instead to continue moving his body in intricate patterns as he turned and swiveled around himself with the wind…

…Those were clearly the movements of a master. No one watching and not-watching could ever deny that.

But why were his eyes glowing?

Before either animal could regain their senses, (not)Izuku acted. Building up a sufficient amount of spiraling wind around himself, the boy thrust his right palm forward and sent out the wind he commanded.

In no time at all, the bear was hit with a powerful gale that lifted it off of the ground. The bear was sent flying high into the hair, flailing and spinning uncontrollably, and soon was engulfed by the trees of the forest as it landed in the distance.

Once enough time had passed and it was clear that the bear wouldn't return, (not) Izuku put his right palm on top of his left and pushed both arms downwards. Powering himself down from the incredible feat he had just pulled.

Having finished his task (not) Izuku closed his eyes and unceremoniously fell to the ground, unconscious.

The Badgermole looked at the sleeping form of the boy with a dumbfounded expression.

That boy was something special. Chima had sensed it when they met but he had no idea how true he was. That boy was one of their own, he was family…

And family sticks together.

Walking up to the sleeping form of Izuku, Chima nuzzled his snout into the boy's head, enticing a giggle in the process.

"Hehe… that's tickles…" Izuku groaned in his sleep as he warped both of his hands around Chima's snout in a hug.

The Badgermole purred in delight, clearly contempt with its current situation. Laying down beside the boy that still hugged his snout, Chima rested his head so it was touching the boy's and closed his eyes, letting sleep engulf both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hasukappu: Can also be called blue honeysuckle, sweetberry honeysuckle, or honeyberry is a non-climbing honeysuckle native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in countries such as Canada, Japan, Russia, and Poland. The plant or its fruit has also come to be called haskap, derived from its name in the language of the native Ainu people of Hokkaido, Japan.
> 
> I wanted a native wild fruit for Izuku and Chima to bond over. Incidentally, it's Chima's favorite food alongside honey which was kind of what made me decide to use it. I AM a bit uncomfortable that I moved the plant from Hokkaido to Honshu but beggars can't be choosers, I guess. For the sake of the plot, during the time between modern and the BNHA present, the plant became an invasive species in Shizuka.
> 
> **Sergeant: According to Wikipedia the Japanese parallel is called Junsa-buchō.
> 
> ***Senior police officer: Are called Junsa-chō in Japan. It's an honorary title bestowed to police officers who haven't gone higher in the command chain.
> 
> ****Ussuri brown bear: Also known as the Ezo bear or the black grizzly, it's a sub-species of the brown bear. It's one of the largest species of the brown bear and can even approach Kadiac bears in size.


	6. Book 1 chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER FIVE:

**COUPLED BY FRIENDSHIP**

* * *

The stars in the sky above the search squad began to disappear in the face of the approaching sunrise. The sky was yet it's normal light blue, still retaining a darker shade as the sun was still unseen in the horizon.

Still. It was clearly visible now where the treetops ended and the sky began, there was enough light now to determine that much.

The chill morning breeze ruffled the squad-mates' head as it blew past, causing most of them to shiver in a futile attempt to get warm.

None came equipped to deal with this kind of situation.

Well… it was obvious they didn't see this coming. No one thought that the search would stretch out the entire night. With it being the middle of summer, no one thought to bring warmer clothing with them either, a decision they all regretted.

To make matters worse, not a single green hair of little Izuku's head was seen by any of them, allowing distraught to slowly fill up their hearts.

Of course, none was more distraught than the boy's mother, Inko Midoriya. The poor woman's emotional condition was only worsening with every second her son was alone.

She let out a tired sign, her breath visible in the morning cold. This was both the dullest **and** the most nerve-wracking night of her entire life.

They had walked through the entire forested area, climbing and descending mountains, going over streams, and overall doing nothing but walk around…

Amid this dull activity, however, Inko's mind was going at speeds that would have impressed a certain super-intelligent rodent.

Countless what-if scenarios plagued the poor woman's thought process as she anxiously shifted here gaze around the forest, trying to find the tiniest hint to the location of her beloved son.

Honestly, if anyone were to glance at the older Midoriya they would certainly protectively rub their necks, wincing just by looking at how fast she twisted her neck from left to right.

They spent the entire night like that. Just walking through the seemingly endless woods in complete silence, not wanting to miss any sound that could lead them to the boy. Certainly making it one of the dullest experiences anyone present ever had the displeasure of going through.

Only two instances during the night were worthy of being addressed as something worth paying attention to. One if we subtract the time when one of the officers, who had some sort of wind-based quirk, sneezed so hard he blasted himself into a tree.

That instance was when they found Izuku's abandoned red shoes.

It was unexpected, really. For what reason would the child discard his shoes and walk the forest barefoot. It could only hurt him in the end, after all.

The moment she saw her son's favorite item of clothing (besides his All-Might onesies) she nearly fainted on the spot. The mere thought of her son running around barefoot, his little feet stabbed by sharp rocks and twigs, almost caused her to break down on the spot.

It was only thanks to the support of the officers there that she managed to calm herself.

_'Now's not the time to break down!'_ she internally yelled at herself _'_ _I have a son to find!'_.

Now, hours later, having gone through a thorough search all over the mountains, they still couldn't find anything more about the boy.

It was as if the ground had swallowed him up; or as if he deliberately stayed away from them with skills that should have taken years to accumulate.

As such, the entirety of the search squad was in very bad shape.

Inko herself was tired, hungry, her muscles screamed at her to stop, and she looked like she went through hell and back a few thousand times.

How some of the officers still looked none the worse for wear was a mystery to her. In the end, after a contemplation that took more time than it should, she credited it to their training.

These kinds of ideal thoughts were the only thing keeping her standing at this point.

That and thoughts of her son. But she wasn't sure if she could think about him and not break down again.

Her inner monologue was continued, undisrupted by the other people present, for a few hours…

…Until she was pushed to safety by a panicking-officer-Tsukachi out of nowhere…

"Stay back!" Tsukachi ordered Inko. The greenette tilted her head quizzically, having been in her head for a couple of hours, and turned her head to look at what had gotten the young officer to be so alarmed.

The sight that greeted her explained why **very** thoroughly.

In front of the squad, standing in low shrubbery, was a giant Ussuri bear that was currently glaring at them with murderous eyes. For whatever reason… The bear was not in a good mood.

Inko held no words of protest and obediently hid behind the armed officers as they aimed their weapons at the brown behemoth.

"What is an Ussuri bear doing here?!" a female officer, who went by the name of Dobutu Risuna*, asked.

"Is it really important what kind of bear this is?!" Dokeshi screamed at his co-worker in panic, displaying his keen ability to be a smartass in the worst situations.

"It **is** important" Risuna argued back. "Ussuri bears aren't supposed to be in Honshu! They're native to Hokkaido!" Once again Risuna displayed her larger-than-it-was-supposed-to-be knowledge on the animal kingdom. To be fair… When one's quirk was to be able to understand animals it was kind of expected of them to know.

"Well, can't you talk to him?!" Tsukachi questioned/yelled-at Risuna, not averting his gaze from the bear that was currently scanning them, debating what to do.

"No can do, new guy." Risuna quickly shot down Tsukachi's idea with a shake of her head "You haven't been with us for long, so you wouldn't know. But I can only understand animals, not talk to them."

Tsukachi deflated. It wasn't nice to be called the newbie, no matter how true it was. "So, what do we do now?" he asked. If the bear attacked them, there was no guarantee that they would all escape unscathed, there was no telling what it could do in this day and age. Even if he looked a bit worse for wear. Wait…

"What happened to it?!" Tsukachi wondered aloud. The bear looked like it came out of a war-zone. Dried blood stains were plastered all over its face, teeth, and maybe even nose, broken; Its fur was messy with the occasional branch or leaf sticking out as if the bear was hurled through the treetops for good measure.

"My god…" the leader of the squad whispered in a low tone, finally noticing the shape the bear was in as well. The other officers soon followed as their faces took on a mask of horror. What could've done this …?

The officer's gasps caused Inko to become curious. Taking a peek at the bear from her place behind Tsukachi, her gaze was locked with the bear's.

As soon as the bear laid its eyes on Inko, its eyes widen comically. Wasting no time at all, the bear let out a frightened yelp before running away with as much speed as it could muster. Leaving behind a confused group of cops and Inko.

"What was that?" Dokeshi asked, saying out loud what everyone was thinking.

"I'm not sure…" Risuna began "But when he ran away… I could've sworn he was saying something that sounded like, and I quote, "Nope-nope-nope-nope-nope-nope-nope…"

Every person present widened his eyes in disbelief, struggling to digest what had just been said to them.

"I think your quirk's broken…" Eventually, Dokeshi's reply cut through the ice, breaking the stupor everyone was in.

"We need to hurry!" the old sergeant/detective called out, getting everyone's attention. "We wasted enough time, we have a kid to find!"

Ever the professional, the sergeant got everyone back to the mission. As the group marched forward once more, however, Tsukachi broke the silence again.

"Sir?" he addressed his superior cautiously, asking for permission to speak.

"What is it, officer?" was the swift reply he got in return.

"You saw the state the bear was in, right?" Tsukachi began.

Upon receiving a nod of confirmation he continued "I've been thinking... what could've been so powerful as to injure a fully grown Ussuri bear like that?"

As soon as the words left the young officer's mouth, everyone felt a chill run down their spines, afraid where he was going. "It's bad enough that there's a bear here, where a child has gone missing… but if something had injured even that threat… what more can be out here …?"

Inko gasped in shock, tears building up as the worst-case scenario played in her mind. "We have to hurry!" She shouted, getting everyone's attention.

Not wasting a second longer the squad's leader gave a new order "We need to double our efficiency, on the spot! We're splitting up! I'm leading group one while Risuna takes the other one. Tsukachi! Dokeshi! Midoriya! You're with me! Everyone else! You're with Risuna! Move out!"

Not even awaiting a 'Yessir!' the mission's leader stormed off towards the unknown. Dokeshi, Tsukachi, and Inko hot on his heels.

Things could have become a whole lot worse…

* * *

While the search squad was spending the dawn after a sleepless night anxious and fretting in worry; Izuku and Chima's dawn was a tad bit different.

Both boy and Badgermole were still sound asleep in the time before sunrise, their faces relaxed, and showing no signs of worry.

Izuku was gently warped around Chima's legs, an attempt of the Badgermole to keep the boy warm during the night. Hands hugging one of Chima's legs in return, Izuku's cheek was nuzzled against the cub's warm fur.

His shallow breaths barely audible in the morning air, the boy shifted a little in the Badgermole's arms as he subconsciously tried to get into a comfier position.

Having felt the child's squirming, Chima was slowly waking up from his slumber.

Yawing as soundlessly as possible, as to not wake the boy up, Chima lifted his Chin from its resting spot on Izuku's head. Sniffing around himself and taking in the world around him, the Badgermole took a deep breath of the refreshing mountain air.

They were still where they both fell asleep the night before, not being woken up since then except for when Chima woke up to Izuku's shivering. A problem that was quickly resolved when the Badgermole wrapped his frontal legs around the greenette in a hug.

Said greenette was still soundly asleep, not being woken up by the Badgermole's silent morning ritual.

Since the sun was not up yet the boy had no real trigger to be awoken, seeing as the uncomfortable early-morning air that would have done so was currently ineffective thanks to Chima.

Chima sat there silent, still acting as Izuku's pillow/blanket as he took the scene around him in. The chill and humid air were just what the Badgermole needed to get its day started; as if simply breathing the fresh air was cleansing his lungs.

Around him, birds were starting to wake up as various night birds were beginning to tuck it in. The chirping of chicks demanding their breakfast felt like relaxing music to the young Badgermole's ears.

Though he couldn't see it for himself, the sky above was beginning to light up as the sun came closer and closer to show itself on the horizon. Clouds were painted with magnificent colors of bronze, orange and yellow, creating a wondrous picture for all those who could see it.

The favorite part of the dawn for Chima, however, was sensing the earth below him waking up. The dawn was a special time in the day for everyone on the planet, it only seemed right for it to be the case for the earth as well.

The low hums of the slithering snakes in their burrows as they prepared to sleep off the day; the tiny droplets of dew hitting the ground from their place on the leaves of grass; the gentle ticks of vibrations from the various insects treading about…

All these different feelings coalesced together, creating a chorus of harmony that sang out to the Badgermole, tickling his feet as he just took it all in.

It just felt so right…

…That's exactly why he loved dawn so much.

And let us not forget, the moderate stomping of feet heading his and Izuku's way. They too joined into the harmony, though they were a bit out of tune with it…

Waaaiiiiit…

Chima's ears perked up in attention.

Heading their way was a conglomerate of beings, all of which were walking around on two feet as they walked on in a hurrying manner.

The Badgermole shivered in fear and disgust. **Humans** were heading their way; From the vibrations he was sensing, he could tell that they were about four.

Chima immediately got up, shaking the still sleeping Izuku and causing him to stir in his sleep.

"Ughhh…" the boy groaned, getting Chima's attention. The boy's relaxed expression morphed into one of annoyance and discomfort as he squirmed about like a child that didn't want to wake up...

Well… He **was** a child that didn't want to wake up.

"Hmmm..." the boy soon went back to his peaceful slumber, though. Humming in bliss as his stirring ceased and he returned to sleep.

The Badgermole 'eyed' the form of the boy that was still sleeping on the ground.

He couldn't leave him behind like this. He was family, one of their own.

Still… There was no time left to wake the boy up and drag him to hiding. Not to mention that the boy was human too. Other humans shouldn't be a threat to him if humans were anything like them…

That still wasn't an excuse to leave family behind, though…

And Chima would be damned if he did just that.

Running into the forest nearby and hiding in the low bushes, Chima focused his attention at the now shivering Izuku as he stretched his hand and felt the area around him. Trying to find the Badgermole that acted as his bedsheets in his sleep.

" **IZUKU!** "

A load scream had caused Chima the jump in surprise and the boy to wake up with a yelp.

Rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleep in them, Izuku looked around groggily and in confusion when he was suddenly tackled by an eccentric Inko.

" **IZUKU! MY BABY**!" she cried as she hugged her son with so much force he was struggling to breathe.

From his vantage point on his mother's shoulder, he could make up the form of three individuals also approaching where they were, none of them familiar to him.

"M-mo-m" he croaked, trying forcibly to separate the hug to get some air "I-…I ca-*cough *can't… b-reath… "

Inko somehow managed to hear him through her sobbing and lightened her grasp on the boy, though still didn't separate the hug. As if letting him go would mean losing him again.

The other three people stepped out of the woods and stopped there, giving them both some space.

One of them, a tall young man with black hair, said something into his communicator. Whatever that was, the boy had no idea.

" **IZUKU! I WAS SO-** *sob* **O WORRIED!** " The Midoriya matriarch continued her crying, producing so many tears that a waterfall began to form over the Cliffside.

Inko only sat there for a couple of minutes, unable to do anything as she continued to process that her missing child was found and in between her arms. All the while sobbing and crying in relief as her son hugged her back, confused but happy to see her nonetheless.

Eventually, Inko finished processing that her child was found and in front of her and immediately shifted into her 'worried parent' mode.

"IZUKU! ARE YOU OKAY?! WERE YOU HURT?! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?!" the mother bombarded the little child with endless questions as she fretted over him in worry, obviously distraught as she checked for any injuries that her son might have accumulated over the night.

Izuku, whose head was spinning from all the questions, was not in the best shape he had ever been in.

There were bruises and lacerations all over the young boy's body, dried blood specking the most serious ones that he had suffered; He was covered in dried mud and dust that was smeared all over his pale skin, painting it in a browner color; His usually messy hair, was somehow even messier with leaves and branches sticking out of it, it would obviously hurt to get them all out…

His clothes didn't escape the fury of whatever happened to him yesterday, either. They were dirty and tattered with one sleeve of his beige T-shirt missing; His shorts that were until now brand-new were now worn-out after the activities he performed the night before; And of course, he was lacking any sort of footwear, standing completely barefoot on the forest floor…

It was that last detail that spiked the mother's (and officers') attention and curiosity.

"Izuku…" the taller greenette begun, having calmed down a bit from her frenzy after a sufficient amount of time. "Why have you taken off your shoes?"

Izuku tilted his head in confusion and glanced down at his bare feet. In all honesty, he had completely forgotten that he didn't have any shoes on.

"Izuku…" Inko called for her son, averting his gaze back to her "Why have you taken off your shoes?"

"For my quirk." Was the deadpanned reply that came out of the boy's mouth almost instantly.

Inko widened her eyes. Now that the shock of finding her son wore off, she could shift her thought process to the past before it all began.

She remembered how Izuku tried for months to activate a quirk that he claimed he had, to little results. All those sleepless nights he tried to push furniture around the house while trying not to alert her; All the times he had begged of her to take him to the doctor and re-do the quirk tests; All the time she didn't support him and left him in his desperation…

Everything.

Inko clutched her hand into a fist behind her back. Averting her gaze from the boy before trying to figure out how she's supposed to respond to that _'With everything going on I almost forgot… Izuku still thinks he has a quirk, telling him he doesn't have one like I did until now will only make things worse…!'_

The woman closed her eyes as thoughts ran rampant in her mind, trying with everything she had to come up with a solution that would help her son see reality while also won't cause him distraught. _'I need to support and believe in him. Telling him he's only imagining things at this point would only do the opposite! What should I do?!'_

Luckily for Inko, she didn't need to think about what to say to Izuku in a situation like that.

Though she failed to notice it, when she averted her gaze from her son, he too wandered off with his thoughts.

The same statement that he uttered only seconds before echoing throughout his mind. Only now did he realize that his mother -or anyone- (besides Chima and him) didn't know about his quirk.

A wide smile slowly building upon his face, the young boy called his mother excitedly "Mom! Mom!"

Inko was snapped out of her anxiety-filled inner debate and turned to look at her smiling son again.

"I found my quirk yesterday!" he cried out in joy while he walked out to a small boulder that was left from last night's fight on the ground beside them.

"Look!"

Izuku got on all four and closed his eyes, emptying his mind from everything besides the earth between his tiny fingers.

Inko and the officers looked at the boy confused while the familiar vibrations coursed through the boy's body, assimilating him with the earth and imbuing him with its power.

Inko soon regained her senses as Izuku slowly lifted his left hand. ' _He's doing it again…'_ she thought sadly. This is another one of his attempts at activating his non-existent quirk. Soon, nothing would happen and the boy would enter his depression once more.

Something that Inko would give anything to prevent.

The woman stretched her hand forward in Izuku's direction as if she was about to grab him from afar or use her quirk on him, none the wiser to what was about to occur.

She didn't even have enough time to utter the child's name. Only saying "Izu-…" before the boy forcefully thrust his arms leftward and sent the boulder flying over the cliff with a large *Boom!*.

Izuku jumped back on his feet with an excited smile. Turning his head to his dumbfounded mother, he closed his eyes innocently and yelled excitedly "You saw, mom? You saw?!". The boy skipped a bit on his spot, struggling to keep his excitement contained.

As soon as what Izuku had done was fully registered inside Inko's mind, the woman wasted no time and tackled her son into another bone-crushing hug, somehow crying another waterfall of tears in the process.

Seriously, how is she not dehydrated?

* * *

The officers in the meantime we're watching the scene play out patiently from the sidelines. The sergeant wore a wistful smile on his face while Dokeshi was openly crying at the emotional scene.

Tsukachi too was smiling. They have done it after all. The child was safe.

Now all that was left to do was regroup with the other team that was already headed their way after he called them and head back to town.

He, however, raised an eyebrow when the boy telekinetically moved a small boulder with his movements _'Wasn't he supposed to be quirkless?'_ that was unexpected. Then again, it wasn't the most surprising thing he ever saw in his short time on the force.

**That** title was held by the time he was present at Midnight's debut… Makoto had accused him of being a pervert for months after that...

* * *

**Chima**

**Species:** **Unknown to humans. Possibly a Badger with a mutant quirk.**

**Quirk: Unnamed earth manipulation quirk**

**Description: Chima is capable of bending the earth to his will with his movements as well as having an** **unordinary** **appearance.**

**Appearance: Chima is badger-like in appearance with the tail and paws of a mole. While his fur is mostly brown, he has white and black stripes that stretch across his back as well as domino-mask-patterned white fur around his eyes.**

**Affiliation: Unknown.**

**Age: roughly 3 to 7 months.**

**Birthday: Unknown.**

**Height: 115 cm.**

**Length: 250 cm.**

**Favorite food: All things related to the word 'honey'.**

**Favorite thing: Izuku.**

* * *

" **MY BABY HAS A QUIRK!** " The eccentric Inko yelled as she hugged her son.

Said son was currently hugging her back with tiny tears building up in his eyes, the gravity of the situation finally fully sinking in.

He has a quirk… With this, nothing can stop him from pursuing his dreams of being a hero; He wouldn't be mocked or bullied anymore by the other kids; He's going to be friends with Kacchan again…

Everything is going to be the way it should be… It was almost too good to be true…

This time, Inko took less time to calm herself down. Separating the hug to look into her son's damp eyes, the woman almost couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The light in his eyes finally returned, stronger than ever. After months without this light that used to light up her life, it was finally back! … Her baby was back!

"Wait until we tell your dad about this!" she smiles at her son, whose smile was also widening at the mentioning of his father "He's going to be so proud of you!"

Before Inko or Izuku had the time to continue the moment they shared they were interrupted by a gruff voice that had entered the conversation.

"But before any of that!" The old sergeant interrupted with a strained smile, he really didn't want to ruin the moment "We need to get Izuku-kun back to town. He still needs to be treated for his injuries, as well as checked over for anything else that might have happened to him while he was alone.".

Inko nodded, understanding that her son needed treatment for everything that had happened to him while he was missing. Izuku, on the other hand, tilted his head in confusion to the detective's words. Specifically, what he said about him being alone.

"I wasn't alone." was Izuku's comment to the detective's statement. Drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Come again?" the sergeant asked the boy with a bewildered expression.

"I wasn't alone. I was with Chima!" He repeated, his voice becoming more enthusiastic as he mentioned his friend.

Said Badgermole was silently fidgeting in the bushes, unnoticed by the others present. He wanted to go back to Izuku, especially after the boy yelled out his name in such excitement.

"Chima?" Inko asked her son, confused. There was no one with him when she first saw him. He was just sleeping on the ground, shivering in the pre-sunrise cold when she woke him up with her yell.

"Yeah!" Izuku called out with happiness "I met him yesterday and he became my friend!" he explained to his mother who Chima was, his smile never dropping. "He's so big! And brown! And he's also so soft and fluffy! He showed me how to use my quirk and he likes granola even more than you! And…"

The boy stopped. Glancing around him, he seemed to look for something that was not present. "Where is he …?"

"Chima!" Izuku yelled into his hands to amplify his voice. "Chima, where are you?" The greenette paced around his mother and the senior officer, trying to call for his friend that he was sure was with him when…

When… he couldn't remember. The last moments of yesterday night were all fuzzy… The last thing he did remember was Chima slamming into him before it got all dark… Dread was filing the boy's mind as a chill ran down his spine.

' _The bear!'_ he thought in alarm _'Is Chima okay?! I gotta find him!'_. And so Izuku hastened. Continuing running around the place and calling out to his friend who was still in hiding, struggling not to jump right on the boy he came to care for over the previous day.

While the boy was running rampant and yelling his new companion's name, Inko and the officers stared at the boy in bewilderment. Whoever that Chima was, he surely meant a lot for the young boy. The big question was 'why?'.

The sergeant had an idea why. Silently walking over towards Inko he lowered his voice and asked her: "Could he have an imaginary friend?"

Tsukachi and Dokeshi came closer as the child continued to yell out the Badgermole's name, obviously curious as to why.

In the meantime, the more professional of the two briefed his superior about the situation. "Sir! I just received a message from Risuna-senpai! She will be here in a couple of minutes and then we can start to head back to town!"

Both mother and detective nodded in understanding. It will soon be time to go back and officially end the search mission in success.

Not a moment too soon for anyone present.

The sooner the better, after all. Inko wasn't sure how well she could handle any more stress today. She might even lose a few years out of her lifespan if anything dangerous popped up around Izuku.

The boy himself was still in a very clear need for medical attention. It would be bad if anything got infected over the night or while they waited. Figures that all their first aid kits were with the other squad.

That was the sarge's B.

"Hey…" Dokeshi entered the conversation, pointing to the still yelling Izuku "How about him? He doesn't look like he'll come quietly with us without that friend of his…"

True to his words, it didn't appear as the child would bulge. It has been a couple of minutes since he began screaming out to his friend, an eternity for a four-year-old. Yet Izuku wasn't in the least bit dissuaded if anything he was calling out with more fervor than before.

"Seems like it…" The "detective" sighed. "Looks like we'll have a very loud trip back home… You still got those earplugs, Dokeshi?"

"N-no sir" the officers stuttered, "You said that if I bring them for a mission one more time you would make me work overtime for three weeks in a row…"

"So now you listen…" The detective grumbled. If the kid would be taken away without thinking his imaginary friend was with him, he would surely cry and rampage in a fit of tantrum all the way back. Something **none** of them were ready to deal with after the sleepless night they just pulled.

They all stayed silent, dreading the upcoming way home that would surely be filled with none stop screaming. May God have mercy on their sleep-deprived souls and help them through this upcoming ordeal.

Soon enough, the second squad came into view, and after a quick patch up on Izuku, they would begin their way back. _'Well… Better to get this over with'_ the sergeant signed as he turned to the boy, he did not anticipate what he would have to do next…

But before the sarge could start his way towards the boy to retrieve him and begin the long trek home with a screaming child he was stopped by the low whispers of one of his underlings.

"Wait!" Tsukachi half-whispered, getting the attention of everyone present. "I've got an idea… Just play along..."

The young officer took the communicator out of his pocket, after making sure it was off he put it to his ear like a phone and began yelling so that Izuku would hear him. Something that those who were beside him were **not** happy about.

"WHAT! FOR REAL!" Tsukachi screamed into his turned off communicator in an exaggerated expression, eyes wide open and mouth locked in an artificial smile that was clearly forced.

The officers around him fought the urge to laugh out loud at his terrible acting, some having to face away to hide the huge smiles on their faces as they attempted not to burst into laughter.

The boy, however, having stopped his search for Chima by Tsukachi's yelling, turned to look at him. Izuku looked at Tsukachi's forced expression with deep curiosity, buying the terrible acting due to his age.

Upon seeing that he got Izuku's attention Tsukachi turned his attention back to his prop and continued his plan "YOU SAY THAT CHIMICHANGA- "

Tsukachi paused as he felt something tug at his police uniform. Looking to his right he found the culprit to be his boss as he tried to look as discreet as possible and whispered the correction to his mistake "Chima".

"YOU SAY THAT **CHIMA** … "He corrected himself, the other officers struggling not to explode more than ever.

Izuku's curious gaze had morphed into a glare when Tsukachi uttered his companion's name _'He knows where Chima is!'._

"… IS WITH YOU RIGHT NOW IN TOWN?! AND THAT HE LEFT OFF EARLY TO MAKE SURE IZUKU WOULD GET BREAKFAST WHEN HE CAME BACK?!" Tsukachi continued his act, the other officers still struggling not to laugh as they realized what their kohai** had planned.

The man in charge let a rare smile show on his face _'Well done Tsukachi!'_

Izuku was watching Tsukachi with a wide smile _'Chima is in the town?! And he's waiting with breakfast?!'_ The boy ran towards the squad that was now regrouped. Jumping up and down in excitement, he practically shouted at them "CAN WE GO NOW? CAN WE GO?!".

The female officers and Dokeshi were struggling not to coo at the boy as he was acting like an excited puppy. Inko and the sarge smiled and silently thanked Tsukachi for his plan to draw Izuku back without any protests from him.

Having finished his act, Tsukachi 'turned off' his communicator and addressed the young child. "Before we had back, we should probably look over your wounds, Izuku. I bet that hurts."

Izuku grimaced slightly and sat on a boulder. "Yeah..." He half-whined.

"Dokeshi" the sergeant called out his mischievous employee, causing him to jump up in surprise.

"Yessir?!"

"Why don't you make yourself useful and patch the kid up. We'll wait for you to finish"

Grumbling about how his boss hates him, Dokeshi grabbed a first aid kid and trudged towards the sitting boy.

Risuna whistled, impressed at Tsukachi's results. "Not bad newbie…" she patted him on the back.

Tsukachi rubbed his neck sheepishly and replied "Thanks. I'm not sure where that came from, but it worked out."

"A good job is a good job, Tsukachi" The sergeant congratulated him. "Maybe we will get a quiet trip back after all."

Ohhhh... How wrong he was.

Meanwhile, Dokeshi was almost done checking over the boy, clearing his wounds and bandaging him. Though he did get some protest from the boy when he cleaned the wounds and attempted to take the branches out of his hair. A task that he thought was worthy of a hero considering how tough that was.

Having finished his job, Dokeshi began to pack his equipment as Izuku got up. Glancing towards his mother who was currently conversing with the detective, giving him words of gratitude, he stopped at the sight he saw.

Inko's body that up till now was cast in shadows, much like everything was, was now illuminated by a golden light.

Looking around everything was shining gold for some reason…

Turning around to look at the source, Izuku was rendered breathless. The sun was seen rising on the horizon; Coming out of a sea of greenery below him, it shone golden as it painted the scenery with its color.

The clouds in the sky; The ground he stood on; Even himself! All were painted golden by the sun's rays.

It was the most beautiful thing he ever saw.

"Wow…" was the only comment the boy made. He saw so many beautiful things here: The night sky, The lush forest; And now this…

This would be a day he will remember forever…

...And this would be a place he would forever cherish.

Turning around, his mother and police also watched the sunrise in awe, also captivated by its beauty.

Smiling to himself, Izuku caught up with them and snapped them out of their awe with an excited squeal "Let's go!"

* * *

Having been so excited about finding Izuku, none of the officers' present gave a single thought towards the difficulty of the task to return to town. They were now regretting it deeply… At least that way they would've been prepared!

Inko and the police squad, as well as Izuku, were walking through the wild forest on their way back. Feet stomping on overgrown shrubbery and weeds, most stayed silent in an attempt to converse as much energy as possible, which wasn't a lot considering their all-nighter.

Izuku, on the other hand, had no qualms about yelling and laughing excitedly as he jumped happily around the squad with seemingly bottomless amounts of energy. All the while he talked about Chima, heroes, or anything to do with quirks.

_'Where are those ear-plugs when you need them?'_

For the first time, Dokeshi and his boss' thought processes were synchronized. How though would remain one of the greatest mysteries known to mankind.

"Hey, Tsukachi?"

The officer perked up immediately by the whisper that called out his name. Turning towards its' source, he was met by the figure of Inko walking beside him.

Though she addressed the officer beside her, the woman's gaze was squarely on the form of her son who was currently marching in the group's front, pretending to lead them forward.

"I wanted to thank you," she said suddenly after a long silence.

Tsukachi raised an eyebrow. Confused as to why the woman would thank him personally like this.

"I've been thinking…" she began, voice a bit mixed with regret. "For a while now… Months, in fact, my son was so sad all the time. He didn't smile; He closed himself off; sometimes I feared he would stay like this forever..."

The poor human stopped to even her breathing. After calming herself down she continued. "So when we found him and I saw him smile again I was so happy! I swore to myself that I wouldn't let that smile leave my son's face again, I will do whatever it takes if I have to!"

Finally, Inko turned to face Tsukachi and bowed her head slightly in gratitude. "His smile means the world to me. So when I thought he would lose it when we started to go back that made me so sad…"

Averting her gaze again, Inko shook her head before turning to him once more." When you came up with that plan to get Izuku to come with us quietly I felt so relieved… My son would get to keep his smile for a few more hours thanks to you. I know it will go away once we reach town but I'm still thankful that you gave him this much".

Tsukachi shook his head, flabbergasted at the woman's gratitude. "N-no! I didn't to that much! I was only doing what I needed to do as an officer, really! Besides…"

The young officer smiled to himself _'So they haven't figured it out yet, huh?'_

"You see…" Tsukachi explained "That's the thing with imaginary friends. If you believe they are there they will be. Since I made Izuku **think** that his friend was in town waiting for him, he will **believe** he is there too and **'see'** him there."***

Inko widened her eyes. The thought didn't come to her mind. Hearing it from Tsukachi, it actually made a lot of sense.

She smiled at him again. "Thank you so much, Tsukachi! You helped me and my baby so much, today… I hope I'll be able to make it up to you one day…"

"Nonsense!" Tsukachi apposed "I don't work as a cop to get something in return!"

Inko giggled a bit, amused by Tsukachi's earnestness. They just walked there for a while. Completely silent except for Izuku who continued to pretend to be the squad's leader.

It was after a couple of minutes that another thought crossed Inko's mind." Hey, Tsukachi? How come you know so much about imaginary friends?"

At her question, Tsukachi blushed. "W-well…" he stammered. "It's because I had one too." He whispered so that no one could hear him. He didn't need to give Risuna any more blackmail material.

"Huh. That's unexpected." Was Inko's only reply to that.

"Yeah…" he began his explanation "I wasn't the most popular kid growing up. My quirk wasn't really 'hero' material and people were afraid I would tell people when they lied… So I was kinda left out."

"That's horrible…" Inko replied, feeling sorry for the officer's rough childhood.

"That's in the past" Tsukachi reassured. "Anyways, because I was lonely I made myself an imaginary friend as a kid." Tsukachi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly" So I have some experience in that department."

Continuing on their way, both Inko and Tsukachi exchanged pleasantries and small talk at the back of the group as Izuku was jumping around from left to right in joy.

The other officers were either laughing at the boy's antics or tired beyond comprehension all the while.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No, Izuku. we are not."

"So, when will we be there?"

"Soon Izuku…"

The sergeant signed. For the past half-an-hour or so he had played the same back and forth exchange with Izuku.

He would ask if they had made it yet and would always reply with a no. Seriously, if the boy wasn't so young, he would have lashed out at him…

That didn't mean he wasn't irked, though.

While, unlike Izuku, he had a lot of patience that had been accumulated over his long life, even it had limits…

Luckily for him, the back and forth between him and the boy was put on hold when one of his subordinates addressed him in a somewhat choked voice"*Kehehehe*- hey, boss."

"What is it, Dokeshi?" He asked with way more enthusiasm than he normally showcased. Everything to get out of babysitting the kid. He had forgotten how tiring they were at this age.

"Are we there yet?"

Dokeshi snickered, trying with all of his might to not burst out laughing on the spot.

This was too perfect. He had the boss-man exactly where he had hoped and fantasied he would be for his entire career. Tired, annoyed as hell, and pretty much done with life. Normally he would remain stoic all the time, keeping a mask over his emotions that made him impossible to tease and annoy.

Or in Dokeshi's language: Having fun with him.

_'Thanks, little guy!'_ he mentally screamed. He was certainly going to enjoy this.

"DDDOOOOKKKEEEESHHHIIII…!"

Or he would have if the sergeant wasn't glaring at him with more hatred than all the villains in Japan had for All Might combined.

_'He is so dead.'_ was the same thought of every officer present. It appears Dokeshi finally dug his own grave…

Or at least it **seemed** that way.

All wandering thoughts, cowering, and anger-filled inner tantrums were immediately halted when the group emerged from some low bushes to a familiar location.

Around them, the untracked ground was replaced with a weathered floor that lacked any sort of wildlife growing on it; picnic tables were dotted around in various strategically picked locations and man-made buildings could be seen just around the corner…

They made it back.

"They're here!" a feminine voice soon broke through the silence the squad was currently in, ending their stupor and causing them all to look around and take the full scene before them in.

Approaching them was a young medic who was tailed by a conglomerate of other people, not all of which were professionals entrusted with the resolve of the case.

While some did wear the plain white uniforms of Japanese medics or were obviously people who worked at the reserve, a large number of civilians were also present.

Some wore semi-formal attires meant for work while others had a more casual choice in clothing, probably citizens of the usually peaceful town who walked by and wondered what was going on.

The most energetic of all, however, was a rather small group of people that looked to be hanging between casual wear and semi-professional one in terms of clothing. Holding what appeared to be cameras and notepads they ran towards the police and Midoriya's with a ferocity that looked much more reminiscent of a bull's than a human's.

The sergeant internally groaned _'Great… The media is here…'_.****

True to his assumptions the reporters wasted no time and made their way through every person that got in their way of the group, even the medics weren't spared.

_'Typical.'_ He frowned at the journalists as they finally got in front of them and immediately started bombarding the group with questions. Shoving limbs, recording devices, and punches between one another in an attempt to be the one to unveil the reason for this gathering of police and medics.

Who knew? Maybe a hero was involved.

"Sir! Yesterday afternoon there were reports from the locals about a large gathering of policemen as well as medical professionals, would you care to comment as to the reason behind it?"

"Is it true that a child went missing within these mountains? If so, could you tell us what is currently known about his situation?"

"Is there a hero taking part in the rescue efforts?"

The sarge ground his teeth in response to the endless bombardment of questions directed at him. _'How do they even know all that?! I ordered the operation to stay confidential! How do they even know I'm the one in charge?!'_

_'*Sign* That's the media for ya…'_ Calming himself down and taking a few deep breaths, the sergeant lifted his head and addressed the crowd of reporters that had certainly accumulated over the night.

"No comment."

He replied dryly and began to walk forward, cutting through them and making a path for the others to follow him.

The reporters glared at his form as he walked between them all and towards the medic, clearly annoyed that he brushed them all without a care.

Not that he minded. If all he wanted to do was talk to the press, he would have become a hero. Let them deal with the pest that was the media…

Though it seemed the sarge couldn't get his break today. For as the reporters eyed the crowd of policemen making their way, the gaze of one of them was locked with an innocent pair of green eyes.

"Wait! Is that the child that had gone missing?!" A female reporter yelled. Soon the questioning bombardment was spurred once more, this time solely targeted at Izuku.

"Is it true that you spent the night in these mountains?"

"Were you rescued by a hero or were you found by the police or the mountain rescue?"

"Why have you run away in the first place?"

All these questions and more were hurtled at the overwhelmed and startled Izuku. Flashes of cameras blinding him, he dug his face into his mothers' leg to protect himself from the terrifying people.

"Enough!" The sergeant's yell silenced all those who were present. Cameras stopped taking pictures and all heads were now turned to the fuming officer.

"This operation has been asked to be confidential and it will remain as such!" He ordered." The family has already asked to respect its' privacy and as such, no information regarding them will be published to the public."

The sergeant eyed the reporters around him, all glaring silently at him for what he was about to do." If any of you do publish it or not delete the photos you have taken now, you can expect a lawsuit against you and the publishers you work for. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a kid that needs to be checked over."

And with that, he walked ahead. Leaving behind the crowd of journalists to delete any picture they have taken as he and Inko brought Izuku in front of the medic.

"Can you look him over?" He asked in a much more composed tone.

The medic only nodded faintly as she and Inko took the young boy to the ambulance that was parked nearby.

The sergeant turned around to look at his subordinates when a thought crossed his mind. _'We still haven't kept our promise to the kid…'._ Smiling and turning back to the receding forms of the family, he raised his voice and yelled: "And after you're done with that, would you care to join us for breakfast?!"

* * *

Izuku stared blankly at the warm Katsudon that he was given only a minute earlier.

Its' taste wasn't bad… Sure it wasn't as good as the ones his mom made, but they were still good.

No. The reason the child was feeling so down was due to the lack of his companion at his side.

He was so sure Chima would be here… Yet the Badgermole was nowhere in sight.

The young boy darted his head from left to right, looking over the place they currently occupied.

They were all seated at one of the wooden picnic tables where he and his classmates ate their breakfast only a day prior. He, mom, Keikan-Ojisan, and the other officers were all around the table, digging into a wide assortment of food that was prepared for them.

Around them, the commotion was all over with the reporters and civilians going back to their day and those who participated in finding him also leaving. All who were left were them and a single ambulance that was going to take him to the hospital for a final check (as well as register his quirk) after they finish their food.

Izuku himself got changed into cleaner and more importantly, **undamaged** clothes. A simple All Might T-shirt with dark green shorts replaced his old and torn attire from the previous day, bandages and plasters covering his bruises and lacerations across his face and body.

The greenette shivered as a dreadful thought came across his mind _'What if something happened to Chima...?'_. Unnoticed by the other people present, Izuku clasped his and together and closed his eyes just like he saw his mother do so many times. _' Pleeeease Chima, be okay…'_ he silently prayed.

The others eventually noticed his distress, they're faces saddened in worry."Hey, *munch* kiddo-". Izuku turned his head to face Dokeshi, who was currently munching his way through a chicken wing.

"Why so down?" He asked and was soon smacked on the head by Risuna.

"Don't talk with your mouth open! Even the kid has better manners than you!"

A few chuckles were heard around the table before the focus was back at the boy. Izuku silently fidgeted in his sit under all of the attention when he said:

"Chima's not here…"

_'Shit!'_ Tsukachi internally swore when he heard that. _'It didn't work!'_

_'Oh boy…'_ The sergeant(or to Izuku: Keikan-Ojisan)***** braced himself to what was about to follow. He pitied who was going to tell the kid his friend was imaginary.

"Oh! Hmm…. I-I'm sure he's around, sweetie!" Inko stuttered, trying to play pretend as much as possible.

Little did any of the adults know that the friend they all though was imaginary was very much real, while also very much near them.

* * *

Hiding in the bushes, Chima 'watched' his friend converse with the other humans, his mouth watering at the abundance of food that he smelled on the table.

There was meat there... Sweet. Delicious. Meat******. Oh! And Fish too! There was so much tasty stuff there! Fresh fruits, grains, and… is that…? It is! Honey-glazed Chicken wings! Oh! How much Chima wanted to just charge in there and take that Chicken away from that goofy looking human…

But he couldn't. He was too afraid. Too **traumatized**.

There were only two things Chima knew for sure at this point and one of which was to **never** trust a human. All it will do is make what happened before repeat itself and leave Chima without anything…

"Chima's not here…"

A quiet voice whispered in Chima's ear, jerking him out of thoughts of the past.

The Badgermole cub shook its' head and focused once more on the one he was following for the past couple of hours…

…Because the second thing the Badgermore was sure of was that he **could** trust Izuku, with his life if it came to it.

He needed to get the boy away from the other humans, but how?

It wasn't as if he could just go there, take him, and then leave as if nothing happened.

Chima couldn't make himself approach Izuku…

… So, he would make Izuku come to him.

'Looking' around himself, it didn't take long for him to find just what he needed.

A tiny pebble rested between his frontal paws, hardly half the size of boy's pinky toe.

It was perfect. It couldn't hurt the boy if he hit him with it, but it was still strong enough to be noticeable. All he needed to do is to be precise enough so that he would only get Izuku's attention.

A child's play for Chima. Ever since he first started walking on his own feet, one thing made itself clear: He might be the most prodigious Badgermole in the last thousand years for all any could tell.

Despite being less than a year old, he was already proficient enough in Manipulating the earth that he could pass for a Badgermole far older than him in terms of skill. Heck, the rest of the Badgermoles his age were still stuck at learning how to sense things through the earth.

A simple flick of one of his claws was all it took for the pebble to be sent flying forward. Directly towards the form of his target.

* * *

"Eh?" Izuku got out of his musing by the tap he felt against his chest. Looking down, he saw the culprit was a tiny pebble that was now resting atop his right thigh.

Picking it up, Izuku got it in front of his eyes to get a closer look. The pebble was nothing special, just your run of the mill piece of earth that anyone could have picked from the side of the road…

_'But how did it get here?'_ Izuku -ever so curious- asked himself, ignoring the gazes that were directed at him from the others at the table.

"What is it, sweetie?" Inko's voice directed her son's attention to her.

"N-nothing!" He stuttered in reply, trying to get everyone's attention shifted someplace else.

Said attention was immediately off of him the moment one of the female officers came back with the take-way doughnuts Tsukachi ordered for them all.

It may be cliché, but who doesn't like doughnuts?

With the adults fighting one another for their right to eat the deep-fried treat (Something that Izuku found weird considering the first thing he was taught at kindergarten was that everyone will get their snack as long as they waited patiently and behaved. Adults were weird…) Izuku was left to go back into his musings in peace.

Glancing around him to try and figure out where the pebble came from, it didn't take long for him to look directly at the bushes his companion was currently hiding at.

Seeing his chance with the other humans distracted, Chima quickly poked his head out of the shrub, enticing a surprised gasp out of the boy, before disappearing back into the shrubbery.

Izuku just stared stunned for a moment at the spot he just saw his friend's head just a couple seconds ago, before shaking his head and walking towards the bushes himself...

"Izuku?" Only to be stopped by the voice of his mother.

Turning around he was met with every adult in the area staring at him, looks of concern on their faces.

"Where are you going?" The mother asked her son. The last thing anyone there needed was for him to go wandering off again.

Before the greenette got the chance to reply, however, the least interested adult in the area quickly dismissed the entire situation.

"Re~lax, guys…" Dokeshi lazily sang to the others present "It's probably just nature-calling. It's not like there are any bathrooms here, right?"

"Besides…" he continued "It looks like the little guy needs to go."

Pointing at the spot Izuku was supposed to be, the other adults looked as well only to see that he was gone. A rough outline of the boy's form made of white lines flashed on and off, replacing him.

* * *

Having all attention directed away from him, Izuku wasted no time before running towards the shrubbery.

Pushing away branches and leaves from his way, he was soon past the plant-made hurdle and found himself right in front of the form of his new best friend.

"Chima!" He let out a joy-filled yell and tackled the Badgermole's snout in a tight hug, Chima returning the gesture by melting into it and purring like a cat.

Licking his face and getting a giggle in return, Chima danced happily around the excited Izuku before coming back to another hug. This time wrapping one of his paws around one of the boy's shoulders.

"I was so worried about you!" Izuku smiled at him before putting a hand on the paw that rested on his right shoulder. "Let's go! I want you to meet mom!"

Starting to push both himself and Chima out of the shrubbery, Izuku was quite surprised to feel Chima's resistance.

"What happened Chima?" Izuku turned around to face him and asked with a worry-filled tone.

Chima simply gestured towards the direction of the crowd of adults currently sitting at the picnic table, before shaking his head with a lot of fervor, a look of fear evident on his face.

"You don't want to meet them?" Realizing what the Badgermole was telling him and getting a nod from Chima for confirmation, a pit was beginning to form in the boy's stomach.

"Does this mean you're not coming with me?" Tears were already building up and falling on the boy's cheeks, unsuppressed sadness at the thought of leaving his friend behind.

Startled, Chima violently shook his head to signal the boy that wasn't the case, making him somewhat relaxed.

"But how can you come with me without meeting them? We will stop at the hospital and then go home from there…and they are both very far from here… Can you follow us?"

Snorting Chima simply stretched and let a confident expression dawn on his face, as if saying 'Of course I can! That's gonna be easy!'.

Smiling Izuku brushed his hand across Chima's forehead before energetically replying "Right! I'll see you soon, Chima!".

Turning around to leave, however, the boy stopped when he felt Chima tugging at him before he could enter the shrubbery.

Turning to look back, Izuku gave the Badgermole a confused expression when he saw the look on Chima's face.

The Badgermole cub was salivating in hunger. With a growling stomach, Chima gestured with his head towards the table filled with food, licking the sides of his mouth in anticipation.

Giggling at Chima's antics Izuku simply nodded his head and said: "I'll leave you some food behind, Chima."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Dobutu Risuna can be translated from Japanese (According to google translate) to 'Animal listener'.
> 
> Yes, that's her job.
> 
> To be entirely honest, I created her solely for the sake of the 'nope-nope-nope- joke in the first segment of the chapter.
> 
> Then again most of the officers are comic relief so far… I wonder if that'll become a thing…
> 
> Hopefully not.
> 
> **Kohai: A senpai and a kohai are generally similar in a lot of ways. They're usually fairly close in age and have a similar occupation and social standing. The differences are when it comes to seniority and/or experience.
> 
> ***Do NOT take what was said there as genuine psychological knowledge, because it isn't. I have never studied psychology or any of its' branching fields so I am NOT a reliable source when it comes to that. I simply thought that would have made sense for anyone who wasn't educated in those fields as one of them myself.
> 
> ****To be honest, I wasn't planning to involve the media in this scene, or this early on actually. I was simply stuck there with nothing to add to that scene when it came to my mind that missing people cases are actually being reported rather frequently. Heck, I remember a few years back when a missing kid incident in japan was reported internationally, though it was probably because of the child's bad parents who left him alone in a forest.
> 
> So what do you think about Izuku's first encounter with the media? All I'll say is that this wasn't the best media encounter he ever had, but it was still far from the worst if you know what I mean ;)
> 
> *****Keikan-Ojisan: A little cute nickname I thought a four-year-old would give to an officer. Keikan is just the Japanese pronunciation for 'cop' Ojisan is just an informal but not necessarily rude way to refer to an older man you are unfamiliar with.
> 
> Though anime does use it in its' less formal form where it functions as more of a 'mister'.
> 
> ******Sorry if I triggered any vegans or vegetarians, but yeah… Chima is an omnivore.
> 
> He is based on badgers who are known to be omnivores, after all. Heck, badgers themselves will sway more to the meat spectrum than the vegetarian one.
> 
> Also, I know that the food description there was kind of terrible, but I had to do it from an animal's perspective. The fact that I added the honey-glazed Chicken was stretching it a bit.
> 
> I am a huge food lover, so I would like to incorporate it a bit into the detailing in the future when I get the chance.


	7. Book 1 chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER SIX:

**OPERATION: CHIMA!**

* * *

"Aaaaannnddd… Nothing. AGAIN!" A middle-aged woman signed exasperatedly. Slumping on the chair in her office, the Geneticist groaned as she rubbed her temples.

When she woke up today, she did **not** sign up to encounter a refutation to one of the most basic axioms* in her field.

Honestly, she still could not quite believe it. The evidence supporting the pinky-toe theory was so unquestionable that the entire medical industry accepted them as fact!

Yet, just this morning, a single child had appeared in her hospital who, against all odds, single-handedly disproved it by just existing!

Seriously! It was like the gods or whatever higher deity was out there just decided to taunt her and mankind by showing them that what they knew was nothing more than worthless rubbish.

It wasn't supposed to be that big of a deal… Just the normal quirk identification tests for a child that, while looking worse-for-wear, was normal. Nobody at the hospital would even bat a questionable glance at the mother and son, if not for his injuries.

That indifference was soon hurtled out the highest window only to be run over by a truck.

At first, they did the usual thing and took an X-ray of his foot, despite both mother and son claiming it to be unnecessary. They both said that the boy had a quirk… Heck, to emphasize this point, the boy even performed a demonstration by chugging a rock through a window…

Needless to say, he was scolded profusely for that.

Imagine their surprise when they all looked at the X-rays and saw no missing toe joint. They were in a panic. Not once, not **ever** in the history of quirk research had a person who possessed a quirk had two joints in their pinky toe.

It was unprecedented!

Understandably, being scientists, every expert within the hospital wasted no time and got the little boy to go through every test imaginable in their respective fields. All for one purpose: to learn everything they can.

And now here she was, hours later in her office. Looking through countless DNA Sequencings** to find the slightest hint towards a quirk being present in the youth's body.

At this point only her department was left, the other's ending their research early due to finding no quirk-related changes to the child's body whatsoever.

"You are truly an anomaly aren't you, Izuku?" She chuckled dryly as she skimmed through the newly generated DNA Sequence, trying desperately to find something, **anything** , to suggest the existence of a quirk-related mechanism. Reaching the end of the Sequence, a tired groan made it out of her throat, only to evolve into a scream by the suddenly opened door.

"Found anything yet?" Came the exasperated voice of one of her colleagues, an Epigeneticist ( **A.N- That's a real profession** ) by the name of Kyusha Kenku.

The doctor slumped her shoulders "No, not a thing" turning to look at her co-worker, she caught wind of his blood-shot eyes, like he was staring at a screen for hours…

…Which he had.

"I've never seen anything like it before…" He rubbed his temples in the same way she had only a couple of minutes earlier " Everything checks out. He has all the signs: The toe joint, appendix, the whole shebang! Not a trace of a quirk factor in him. Medically speaking, he is a completely normal quirkless kid."

"But that's the problem isn't it?" she got up, wanting to stretch her legs a bit from sitting for so long "He **isn't** quirkless. Unless **everyone** can now launch rocks without touching them."

Kenku let out a chuckle at her sarcastic humor "It doesn't look like we'll get anything today. Might as well let the kid go… He must be **dying** of boredom."

The geneticist giggled herself "Well, he **is** in a hospital, so he'll be fine if anything does happen."

"Seriously though," Kenku side-eyed her as she went past him "We need to let him go. I'm was actually on my way to release him."

"Good idea." She replied from across the hall "While I'd still like to figure this all thing out, we can't keep a child here forever. _Without reason…_ "

Making her way to the break room, the geneticist let today's discovery finally settle in. It wasn't every day that such fundamental axiom was proven false, after all.

They may have encountered for the first time a **brand-new** type of quirk!

Here, in a little hospital in the Izu peninsula, a boy fittingly named Izuku might have just revolutionized quirk research by being the discovery of a century!

* * *

Whoever said it would be easy?!

Well… He may not have **said** it, but Chima had certainly thought that when he planned to follow the ambulance.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Following the trail of a vehicle driving at 100 km per hour was one thing. A certainly hard thing. Topping all that off with having to weave through trees and up and down mountains was just straight-up abuse.

Slumping on the hard ground after finally making it to his destination, Chima huffed and puffed in complete exhaustion, not even able to get himself to get up.

So, it was a good thing he decided to almost faint in a rather secluded corner of the woods near the hospital. He was also lucky that the hospital was on the outskirts of the city, otherwise, he didn't know what he would've done.

So here he was, half-conscious for a couple of hours after the taxing ordeal while his companion was currently in that weirdly shaped cave.

Whatever he was doing there is better be good.

Just when Chima began contemplating the pros and cons of getting up once more the decision was made for him when a familiar tapping of footsteps was felt by his senses. Even if the two met only a day ago, Chima could recognize those footsteps all the same. They held innocent happiness and energy to them while tapping lightly on the ground, kind of like bird chirps.

Those footsteps were Izuku's.

The boy was finally out! If it weren't for his exhaustion, Chima would have been on top of the boy by now, licking his face like ice cream. Plus, the fact he was currently around other humans.

And indeed, Izuku had just made it out of the hospital, squinting in the sunlight with his mother by his side and an older man behind them both.

"Ok, Midoriya-san" Kenku addressed the older of the two who turned to look at him. "While we couldn't fully identify your son's quirk, we still need to follow protocols, so please take this".

The older man handed Inko a stack of papers, all neatly arranged in a folder. "This is Izuku's quirk registry form. We have already filled all the medical information there, so you don't need to worry about it. Usually, we would have forwarded it to the quirk registry archives by now but seeing as you aren't from around here nor have we fully tested the full capabilities of Izuku's quirk… It would work out better if you fill all the necessary information and hand it over to your city hall."

Inko nodded, familiar with the quirk regulation rules that had been in place long before she was born. "Anything else, doctor?" she asked.

"Well, just one little thing…" He replied, staring at the boy with an expression that looked like… Jealousy? " Since Izuku **technically** has a brand-new quirk that wasn't recorded up till now, he gets to name it."

"Huh?" Izuku stood at attention, his eyes, that up until now were locked on the image of Chima who signaled him from the bushes were transfixed on the doctor.

The doctor glanced at the boy and spoke with a monotone tone. "It's not so common now since most quirks are just copies of their parent's and we recorded so many types… But when a new quirk that was unseen until now is discovered, it's holder is given the ability to name it according to law."***

"Huh?" Izuku only tilted his head in confusion. His young mind unable to make any sense of anything related to bureaucracy.

His mother, however, understood the doctor's mumbo jumbo and gasped in surprise. "He gets to name his quirk?!" She all but yelled. She had solemnly never heard of anyone getting that privilege. How do you think she wound up with the name 'Attraction of small objects'?

Inko shook her head, something didn't seem right to her. "But isn't there plenty of earth manipulation quirks out there? Like that new heroine… Pixie-bob? Shouldn't Izuku get one of those names?"

Kenku nodded, understanding where Inko was coming from with this. "While normally that would be the case, Izuku's quirk has… How should I put it? A **unique** characteristic to it."

The woman nodded her head, unaware of Izuku leaving her side to go check on Chima. "Like what?"

The doctor fought back a yawn, the amount of time he spent in front of the screens getting to him. "Izuku's quirk is unique in the sense we don't know anything about it."

Inko blinked, confused. "What do you mean by that?" She deadpanned "We know he can manipulate earth with his movements."

"But that's all we know," Kenku admitted to the young mother. "No matter what we tried, we couldn't find any quirk-related changes in his body. Physically speaking he is supposed to be quirkless."

The middle-aged doctor signed again; he **desperately** needed a cup of coffee. " That's the unique thing about it. That's the first-ever quirk that could 'camouflage' itself, so to speak."

"Ohhhh…." Was all Inko could respond with. Her son was becoming more of a mystery with every moment he was awake.

"Anyways…" Kenku interrupted her musings. Getting her attention again he spoke "I think we have taken enough of yours' and your son's time. Just fill these out as I said and that's that. I can't tell you what will happen with his quirk because of its nature, so keep a close eye on him. If anything happens, report to a hospital immediately."

"And finally," Kenku pointed at a bus that was stopped at the side of the road. Doors open with the Trunk open wide itself, revealing its' contents for the world to see. A simple name was flashing in green on the bus's sign 'Musutafu'.

"That bus should take the two of you home, have a nice trip." And with that, Kenku turned around and entered the building, once more leaving Inko alone.

Well… alone for a second. Seeing as Izuku returned to her side before she even noticed him gone.

"Let's go, Izuku" She put an arm on his shoulder and directed him towards the bus.

"We have a phone-call to make once we're home."

* * *

By the time the two-thirds of the Midoriya family made their way home, it was already nearing the early evening.

**"Taidama!"**

Inko stretched and yawned softly as her son bolted further into their home after he took off his shoes. The journey home was a long and tedious one for the Midoriya matriarch, who was very glad it was over. As good as the Japanese public transport system was ( **A.N-As someone who has been to Japan, I vouch for that** ), spending hours on trains and buses with a four-year-old would never be a not tiring experience.

Making her way in, Inko stifled another yawn as she hung her purse over the coatrack haphazardly, not having the patience to do it properly. She needed some shut-eye after the night she had, hopefully, nothing extreme will happen that will take away her much-deserved sleeping hours.

She only had one thing to do at this point, okay, maybe two. But she will do them regardless.

"Izuku!" calling her son, it didn't take long for the energized boy to happily jump around and pull to a stop near the dining table.

"What is it, mom?" He asked curiously, the smile that was plastered over his face all day still present.

_'I can get used to that.'_ Inko thought to herself merrily as she pulled out her phone and looked through her contacts. "I got a surprise for you~" Inko sang to her son, silently giggling as his excitement reached new levels and seemingly dissipated her exhaustion for the moment.

"What is it? What is it" The-almost-five-year-old boy jumped in his place as he looked up to Inko, wonder and curiosity evident on his face.

Having found what she was looking for, Inko sat down at the table and gestured for Izuku to join her. "Just wait a little longer, sweetie…" She teased him a little as he sat beside her "You're about to find out".

Pressing the 'call' button and putting the conversation on speaker, Inko waited patiently for the mystery person to pick up with Izuku(who was waiting less patiently).

For about a minute, only the beeps of the phone were heard in the Midoriya's home. Both mother and son remained silent as they waited, Izuku baiting his breath in anticipation and Inko silently giggling at her son's antics _'Please never grow up Izuku…'_.

Just when Inko was getting worried about her call not being responded to and Izuku getting disappointed because of it, the phone's beeping came to a halt and a groggy groan was let out from the other side. "Ughhhh… Who is this? Do you have any idea what time it is?!" The voice was male, that was for sure. Yet, while it was masculine no doubt, it was still on the higher side of the spectrum, lacking any gruff tones to it. It was kind of pleasant, it was warm and welcoming, even though it sounded a bit annoyed at the moment.

Izuku's smile was immediately empowered ten-folds. He knew that voice well, it belonged to the person he wanted to talk to most in the world at any given moment… Well, maybe All Might was a pretty good contender there.

"Daddy!" he yelled at the phone in pure happiness, talking to his father always brought a smile to his face.

"Izuku?" The man asked as if to confirm his son is the one talking to him. "Izuku! How is my little hero doing?"

Izuku puffed out his chest in pride, a sight that caused his mother to giggle again. Hisashi often had that effect on Izuku, his joyful disposition around his family always brought a smile to his face. Though honestly, Hisashi was just as much of a socially awkward dork as she was in public, and she loved him for it. Even though he couldn't always be there due to his work, he still made the effort of being a part of their lives. It wasn't uncommon for him to call multiple times a week and he always made sure to come to visit as frequently as possible.

Even away, both Izuku and Inko always thought Hisashi Midoriya was always there with them. So, it only seemed natural that they'd tell him about the recent revelation about Izuku as soon as possible. "Dad! Dad! Guess what!"

"Oh!" Hisashi hummed, playing along with his son's hyping to entertain the boy. He didn't know what got the kid so excited (probably a famous hero showing up near home) but he always felt good about himself when he heard his son is happy, "I don't know! What happened, Izuku?" he played along.

Before Izuku got the chance to reveal the big news, however, he was beaten to the bush when his mother decided she couldn't wait to tell him anymore. "Izuku got a quirk!". As soon as those words left Inko's mouth, both mother and son heard a heavy thud vibrate through the speakers as if something crashed down heavily on the floor.

Inko and Izuku panicked, worried about Hisashi's safety.

"Honey? Are you alright?" Inko asked in a worried tone, that thump sounded like whatever crashed was heavy…

"Daddy? You okay?" Izuku had foregone pouting at his mother for ruining his grand reveal in favor of worrying about his father's well-being.

Luckily, it seemed as though Hisashi was unharmed. For it only took a couple of seconds of what sounded like scrambling before the man's voice was heard through the speakers again. "Izuku got **what**?!"

"I got a quirk!" Izuku yelled enthusiastically, having his worries lifted.

"You got WHAT?!" Hisashi repeated, struggling to process the information.

"I got a quirk!" The boy repeated, the excitement in his voice never faltering.

Before Hisashi could question whether he heard them right again, Inko decided to stop the back and forth of identical comments, "Izuku had developed his quirk today, honey. As soon as we came back from the hospital, we called you to let you know."

"That's wonderful!" Hisashi exclaimed, pride and happiness almost palpable in his voice. "I'm not even mad you called me in the middle of the night here! I would be mad if you waited to tell me!"

"Wait… You were sleeping?!" Inko yelled in panic, "I'm so sorry, Hisashi!"

"Don't worry about it!" Her husband reassured her "Besides since I'm fully awake now, I might as well hear all there is to know about my son's cool quirk!"

Izuku puffed his chest in pride again, "You think my quirk is cool?!"

Hisashi chuckled, "I **know** it's cool! Every quirk out there would be cool if you were the one to have it! So, what is it?" Hisashi asked curiously, "Did you get my quirk or your mother's?"

"Actually…" it was Inko who began answering Hisashi's question while Izuku was struggling not to yell the answer right away," He got neither."

"Come again?" Hisashi's voice was heard from the speakers in a low tone, confusion evident in it.

It appears Izuku had run out of patience as not a moment later he jumped up from his chair and leaned on the table, bellowing like the young boy he was "I can control the ground, dad!"

"Huh?!" Hasashi's confused voice was heard again, the older man struggling to comprehend that this rare event happened to his son.

Inko giggled "I had the same reaction as you at first." She told her husband, 'forgetting' to mention the fit she pulled after she was shaken from her stupor." It's pretty rare but it looks like our baby boy had gotten a quirk that is all his own."

"That's… awesome!" Hisashi exclaimed. Inko wasn't sure, but she thought she heard the shuffling of feet on the other side of the line; as if her husband was doing a little celebratory dance, a thought that almost made her burst out laughing.

"I'm so proud of you, Izuku! congratulations!" Izuku smiled wide, "So, what's your quirk's name?"

That was when Inko revealed the main reason for the family gathering over the phone. "That's the thing, Hisashi. Because of something unique about how his quirk behaves he gets to name it!"

"What?!" Her husband yelled from the other side, though his wife and son couldn't see it, his eyes were now as wide as dinner plates at the revelations.

"Yeah!" Inko responded enthusiastically, "I thought that we could come up with ideas for a name as a family, won't that be fun Izuku?"

Izuku simply raised his fists in the air and let out an excited "Yeah!" of his own, unaware to the ulterior motive his mother had _'If it were up to him, he would have named it after All Might.'_

"Soooo…" Inko began "Got any ideas?".

There was silence around the table as both occupants and phone remained deep in thought. Izuku, in particular, looked extremely focused with his hand cupped around his chin and a rapid-fire of mutters leaving his mouth, much like his father over the phone _'Like father like son…'_ Inko silently giggled.

"Maybe…" Izuku whispered silently, only loud enough for his mother to hear "Earth's Might…?". Inko internally signed _'Of course he would pick an All Might related name…'_ She had no problem with the fact he idolized All Might so much, but she wasn't sure if it was good for him to wear his fanboy-ism on his quirk's name like that. Other kids might find it cool, but teenagers weren't the friendliest type of people towards fanboys/girls. The last thing she wanted was for Izuku to get bullied.

Well… more bullied.

Luckily for her, though, she didn't need to dissuade the boy from the name. Izuku did it on his own. The boy frowned and shook his head, dismissing the idea **very** fast "No, it doesn't feel right…"

"How about…" Hisashi purposed "Geokinesis? It's pretty accurate and it sounds cool."

Izuku grimaced again, dismissing the name the moment he heard it. Inko rolled her eyes _'Sometimes you can be so plain, Hisashi…'._

They continued like this for a good half-an-hour, throwing names left and right in an attempt to find the one. But alas, all names were immediately rejected by Izuku, no matter if they were good, bad, or… weird… They all just felt **wrong** to the boy, like his quirk already had a rightful name and calling it anything else would be plain disrespectful.

"I don't know what to tell you, Izuku" Hisashi signed, "I ran out of ideas."

"I think we had enough for today." Inko chimed in, her exhaustion from the previous night returning with a vengeance " Besides. You have work tomorrow Hisashi, I'd hate to make you lose more hours of sleep."

Though they couldn't see it, Hisashi was nodding in agreement" I think it's time I called it a night. You sound pretty tired too honey, maybe it's for the best we all got some rest."

Izuku slumped his shoulders. They spent all this time coming with a name and had nothing to show for it. He felt bad about rejecting all of those offers, but it still felt wrong to accept them.

"Don't get your head in the dumps, Izuku." Hisashi comforted his son as if he saw his disappointment. "I'm sure we'll find the right name for your quirk soon. Now remember to be a good boy and listen to your mother, I love you both! Bye"

Both Izuku and Inko replied with a "Bye!" of their own before the line went silent.

The conversation was over.

"Well…" Inko got up from her seat and stretched, popping sounds of tense muscles filling the dining area, "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry. Want to help me make dinner?"

"Sure!" The boy beamed, forgetting their failure with choosing a name for the moment.

"Thanks, sweetie!" Inko chuckled and pat Izuku on his head, "Go wash your hands while I'll take out everything we need. Also, what do you think about making Melonpan for dessert? I'll let you lick the spatula if you'll be a good boy."

"Really?! Then I'll be super good!" With that, Izuku turned on his heel and went to the bathroom eager to help his mom out and get a frosting covered spatula as a prize.

Though he needed to accomplish something first.

Tiptoeing his way to the door, Izuku took a glance behind him one last time to make sure his mother wasn't looking. Stretching on his toes, the boy attempted to reach the keys that were dangled from the keyhole and open the door, _'Almost there… Got it!'._ Finally, the greenette's flailing in the air paid off with the keys to his home's door now between his fingertips.

Sighing in relief at his accomplished task Izuku began twisting the key and unlocking the door, letting his mind wander for but a moment _'That was tough… I hope I get taller soon…'_

With the * click! * of the door unlocking, Izuku stopped his fantasizing of the day he would grow taller than everyone else and tower over all the villains as a hero ( While also not being aware of the fact that since his parents are short, he will likely be short as well…) in favor of drifting his attention to the opened door and silently walking out.

Putting a hand inside his pockets, the boy pulled out a handful of small and smooth marbles, all hand-picked beforehand to just this very task.

Jerking his head in the direction of the staircase, Izuku sighed in relief when he saw that the trail of marbles was still where he left it when he walked through the hall with his mother earlier.

Making sure he didn't have any marbles in his pockets anymore, Izuku silently placed them on the ground before he went back in, he didn't want to explain to his mother why he had small pieces of earth in his pockets.

All that was left to do now was wait.

* * *

**Hisashi Midoriya**

**Quirk: Fire Breath**

**Description: Pretty self-explanatory. Hisashi is capable of spewing flames from his mouths at will. Though it might sound powerful, Hisashi is very limited in his output and overuse can and had caused severe damage to his respiratory system.**

**Appearance: Hisashi is a man of average height (Though still on the shorter side) and average build. While he's features are sharper than his wife and son's they are still not that noticeable, giving him a younger appearance than he actually is. He also shares some features with his son, like having freckles and wild, messy hair.**

**Affiliation: None.**

**Age: 30.**

**Birthday: 10/7.**

**Height: 170 cm.**

**Favorite food: Tonkatsu.**

**Favorite thing: Being home with his family.**

**Tidbit: Because of his quirk, Hisashi always smells like he's a smoker, which he is not. That got him the stink eye from adults when he was a kid and to this day, he feels self-conscious about it. That's why a good portion of his spending money is going towards buying large amounts of cologne to try and mask his scent.**

* * *

**A couple of hours earlier:**

Izuku decided to leave the dull conversation his mom had with the doctor in favor of checking on his friend.

His four-year-old patience could never sit still for so long as the adults were talking about some technical mumbo-jumbo he couldn't hope to understand… They were basically **asking** him to go occupy himself someplace else!

_"Chima~…"_ The boy whispered, trying to be as discreet as possible for his friend's sake.

Looking up at the boy, the slumped Badgermole silently glared at him, as if blaming him for the run he had had to endure.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Izuku sheepishly titled his head in confusion, his lack of social understanding (or skills for that matter) showing like a platypus-bear in the middle of a city.

Annoyed, Chima let out a gurgled growl that, to be honest, sounded more like a tired groan.

Deciding to ignore Chima's mood for the moment, Izuku opted to instead focus on what laid ahead of him and Chima and what he had on his mind for the last couple of hours, _'On the way home we're gonna go into the city, but Chima is afraid of humans… what do I do?'_

Izuku cupped his chin in concentration _'There has to be a way!'_ Taking inspiration from the words of a pro hero he once heard (Though he couldn't remember which one for the life of him) Izuku darted his head around the place. His vision passed through Chima, the trees around him, and the marble littered floor before he noticed his saving grace.

A single bus was parked outside of the hospital's gates, and though the boy was young, he did know how to read quite well, including the name of the bus's destination: his hometown of Musutafu.

The bus's trunk was currently open, showing the space for all those who took a glance. Some bags were already loaded, conveniently arranged in a neat pile.

It. Was. Perfect. Izuku couldn't have asked for a more convenient solution to his problem. Eyes glancing on Chima and the marbles on the floor around him he, couldn't help the smirk of satisfaction from forming on his face along with his plan.

Putting a couple of handfuls of marbles in his pockets, Izuku led Chima towards the bus before he came back to his mother. A single word that he once heard his father say in a similar association jumping to the front of his mind.

_'Bingo.'_

* * *

Nightfall soon descended upon the city of Musutafu. The crescent moon smiled down on the empty streets that were also illuminated by yellow streetlamps, coloring the roads and buildings in an almost orange color.

While most of the human populous were currently fast asleep in their homes at this hour, a certain Badger-like creature was wide awake, if only barely. Hiding in the tall bushes next to a bus stop, Chima shivered in apprehension while keeping alert of his surroundings.

Izuku's plan had worked out great so far. Smuggling Chima into Musutafu in secret was rather easily done since the bus did all the work. The only 'difficult' part was hiding Chima behind the luggage pile in the trunk before anyone noticed the two. Chima, of course, did not mind the darkness that occupied the space during the travel. Though the stuffing heat in the trunk and the fact the driver handled the bus like an escape van was another story.

Needless to say, when Izuku got out of the bus and the trunk door was automatically opened, he wasted no time and hid in the nearby bushes. Good thing they were big enough to hide in.

Now, hours later, the endless traffic of humans darting about had finally reached an all-time low. Chima could sense most of them soundly asleep in all the buildings nearby, though the occasional human was still walking around outside, usually one or two within his range of sensory.

Ideally, Chima wanted to wait until there were no humans awake in his vicinity, but the hope of that happening was not very promising. The current state of the street had been the best so far, but it stayed like that for a couple of hours already. There was no telling how long it would last for, nor if he had hope for a better opportunity.

Plus, he was getting rather hungry and thirsty. He didn't want to wait any longer.

So, against his better judgment (or following it, you decide), the Badgermole cub walked out of the shrubbery he hid in for the last couple of hours and stretched his sore limbs, preparing to enact the final stage of the plan.

A couple of meters away from him, placed on the sidewalk and sticking out like a sore thumb for the Badgermole, a single marble was placed.

For any passerby, such a thing would seem trivial, if existent at all, But Chima was another story. Badgermole were creatures of the earth: they lived inside it, manipulated it to their will, and were fundamentally connected to it. So, sensing a piece of earth that was so out of place to anything else in the area was rather easy.

All he had to do was follow the marble path and he will find Izuku.

Walking through the streets as quietly as possible was rather unnerving for the Badgermole cub, more than he would like to admit. One wrong move on his part, letting a human sneak up on him and spot him, or having someone suddenly wake up and look out the window, and it was all over.

The stark contrast of the city from his home did not help him either.

Tall, imposing, structures were stuck out from the ground in every direction around him, all housing a ridiculous amount of potential enemies. The ground beneath his feet was unnecessarily dense and flat as if a terrifying giant flattened it to suit his desires. The air around him wasn't clean. It smelled of smoke, fire, dust, and garbage. Gone were the refreshing scents of the night dew, pollinated flowers, and juicy fruits he was accustomed to from the forest.

Chima knew from the moment he stepped out of that bus that he would hate this place. Sadly, he didn't have many other options, going back was a no go, at least for now. It was for the best for him to be as far away from the Izu peninsula as possible, and truthfully, he didn't know of any other place on the surface he could go.

Only now did it sank in how lucky he was to tackle into Izuku back in the forest. The entire ordeal he went through with the boy was certainly the craziest experience in his life in hindsight, no other way around that. Even though he knew about the existence of humans for a rather short time, he still didn't believe he would trust one after what the others had done. Yet, the boy got through to him rather easily, all in the course of one evening.

Was it because they shared the same power? A connection with the earth that bonded them together before they had even met? He never met any other human like that, that would certainly explain why he trusted Izuku despite him being one of them.

Even without the earth powers, the boy had grown on him rather quickly. Something about him always made the cub happier than he was before. The way he easily got excited, the way he cared for him and the way he seemed to communicate with him almost flawlessly despite the language barrier.

If he had any grasp on the concept of fate, Chima might start to believe the meeting between them was meant to be.

But he reminded himself that Izuku was one of a kind. It couldn't be a coincidence that the only human to had ever treat him kindly and earn his trust also possessed the same connection to the earth he had. It was simple logic, all other humans lacked that connection, and all of them only wanted to hurt him.

Chima violently shook his head to clear his mind. Dwadeling about wouldn't do him any good. He was in enemy territory now, he needed to focus on getting to relative safety. So with a determined expression, the Badgermole's paw took a decisive step in the cold stone floor and continued on his marked path.

***HHOOOONNNNNKKKKK!***

A deafening cry vibrated through the air, causing Chima's heart to drop and a yelp to come out of his mouth as he sensed something approaches his direction in blinding speeds.

Wasting no time, Chima dug himself into the ground and hid within the small hole he made. Not a moment too soon and the roaring he came to associate with the metal contraption he rode earlier today vibrated through his ears and made his already dry mouth even more so. Panting as his heart raced and the roar of the vehicle got further away, the Badgermole cub slowly climbed up on shaking legs and assessed his surroundings.

It looked like he was by himself again, thankfully. The roaring of the metal monstrosity faded away into the distance as Chima filled the shallow hole he made. Though his mind wandered only for a second to question the pipes that were just a few meters below the hole's floor.

Getting his head back on the task, Chima breathed a sigh of relief once he noticed a turn in the marble path, a hard right that led to one of the buildings. Entering it and reaching a small room that had more height to it than width, Chima climbed the conveniently shaped scaffolding until the trail of marbles seemed to stop ascending, continuing out of the room and into an open corridor.

It was in that same corridor that a hunched figure sat in silence and leaned against the wall, covered completely by a shroud.

Chima froze, heart sinking as the worst-case scenario immediately played out in his head before a familiar scent was registered by his brain, easing his worries. The figure stayed unmoving as Chima approached, his footsteps seemingly not alerting it. A soft purr escaped Chima's throat as he gently nudged Izuku's sleeping body. Warped in a small blanket and letting out shallow breaths, the greenette groaned as he woke up and squinted through half-lidded eyes at the Badgermole.

A sleepy smile graced Izuku's lips when he saw who it was who woke him up, _"Chima, you're here…"_ Yawning softly, the boy gave Chima's snout an affectionate hug to which the Badgermole melted into and let out a yawn of his own. Standing up slowly and slightly leaning on Chima for support, the boy opened to door to his home quietly and walked inside with a hesitant Chima, _"Follow *Yawn!* me…"_

Chima wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel as he walked through the small space Izuku called home. Its shape was unnatural, sharp edges signaled when the floor and walls ended and began instead of the two melting into each other like he was used to; The floor was made of an unknown material, softer than earth but still rather firm. It actually reminded him of tree trunks.

It was uncomfortable to walk on something that wasn't made of earth. The Badgermole barely had an outline of the place and the only reason he hadn't crashed into anything already was probably that he clung to Izuku so far.

That discomfort was soon forgotten, however, when Chima felt humidity in the air that reminded him of how dry his throat was. Body going on autopilot, the Badgermole found himself in a room that had earth-like floor (thankfully) and a small puddle of water held in a porcelain container. The water in the puddle smelled fishy, but Chima was beyond the point in which he cared.

But before he got the chance to take a drink, Chima felt Izuku tug his head away from the water and whispered to him in a hushed voice, _"Chima! Don't drink that! That's toilet water!"_

Chima tried to resist against Izuku's hold, but when the boy took notice that he was losing the contest of strength he instead closed the lid on the toilet, preventing Chima, who lacked any thumbs, from opening it, _"Phew…"_

The Badgermole was not happy. Sending Izuku a glare, the boy shuffled his feet nervously but held strong _"You can't drink toilet water Chima! I'll just give you water from the sink."_ Taking a stool from the corner of the room, Izuku tiptoed his way out of the bathroom with a reluctant Chima in tow. Not like he could get water otherwise.

Stepping into the kitchen, Izuku put the stool in front of the sink and opened one of the lower drawers, taking out a large bowl before stepping on the stool he brought over. Chima's mood perked up significantly when he heard the sound of flowing water from the sink, and in no time at all, the boy placed the bowl of water in front of him to drink.

The cool water did wonders to his sore throat, living a chill comfort behind as it went down. But, while he much preferred fresh spring water, Chima had to admit that what he drank was certainly of higher quality than most sources of water he got to drink from.

It was certainly more appealing than the stinky water from before.

Taking a glass of water of his own, Izuku sat next to Chima who was already halfway through the water he was given, only slightly slowing down from when he began. The boy sipped silently as he smiled down on Chima. He was glad he was here.

***CRIIIIINNNNKKKK…***

The moment of calm silence the two shared was suddenly interrupted by the sound of an opening door. Both of their hearts sinking, Izuku and Chima scurried away from the kitchen as quietly as possible and hid behind the couch in the living room, hoping to remain unseen.

Not a moment later and Inko groggily passed through the hallway and entered the kitchen, her posture slack and her eyes half-lidded. Taking out a glass of water, Inko didn't even notice the bowl on the floor before turning around and going back to bed, yawning.

All the while Izuku watched her from his hiding spot, hand clasped against Chima's mouth as the Badgermole held a paw to his own. Letting out a sigh of relief, the duo decided that they had enough excitement for today and Izuku led the way towards his room after getting rid of the evidence that Chima was ever there.

Plumping on the bed without even changing to his pajamas, Izuku fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched his pillow. Only remaining conscious long enough to see Chima climb up on the bed and positioning himself by his legs.

_"Good night... Chima..."_

* * *

Izuku opened his eyes and was met with a sight he had never encountered before.

All around him, white appeared to be the dominant color of the environment as massive amounts of snow covered the ground, so compressed into itself it appeared completely solid. Tall walls of ice had wrapped around a large compound, obscuring the world behind them save for the peaks of some mountains in the distance.

Darting his head around, Izuku saw what appeared to be a large gate with an intricate design of an unknown but familiar animal craved into it. The boy himself stood on top of an ice platform at the edge of a specially made obstacle course. Behind him, what appeared to be a large Japanese-styled manor was surrounded by igloos and barracks that looked to be from a military encampment, perhaps that's where he was?

A bone-chilling breeze grazed Izuku's body and he shivered from the intense cold. Hugging himself to try and keep warm, the boy got a look at his body.

Izuku seemed to be wearing a blue and white fur coat and brown leather boots, an attire that did well do defend him from the cold as much as it could. His hands did not have gloves on them, exposing to him skin that was a darker shade than his own. It appeared the boy's stature had changed as well, as it was significantly taller than the body he went to sleep in. His hair, which wasn't curly and fluffy anymore, was tied in a high ponytail above his head, two strands of hair were held together by blue bands and dangled from his temples.

He was also a girl.

Usually, the revelation would be enough to turn him into a blushing and stuttering mess. But, oddly enough, his body did not show any signs of being flustered at all, as if he had no control over it.

"Korra!" A voice called out and Izuku's body turned around to look at her caller.

Before Izuku stood an elderly man with a fierce expression. The man stood tall as the sun shone on his sharp features and frost-covered beard, giving him a slightly menacing look. Despite his age, Izuku could see that the man was well fit and muscular, even through the thick green coat he wore, "You'll never become a master Earthbender if you keep daydreaming and jumping around like a hog monkey!"

The man spoke in a foreign tongue, which one Izuku did not know. It felt almost tribal, using powerful consonants and sharp syllables to convey words. And yet, it held an unfamiliar fluidity to it, like it was just a step away from melting into an almost gentle dialect, like the trickling of a stream.

And Izuku understood every word.

Izuku gave a curt nod and a frown appeared on her face, jogging up to join the man and finding that the ice beneath her feet gave away to an earthen platform. "Then let's get started, Sifu-Mo!" she exclaimed in the same language.

Mo let out a small chuckle, "Now that's what I like to hear! Take your stance!"

Izuku complied and spread her legs, forming an arch with her arms above her head before she felt a weak smack against it. "Wrong stance, Korra! We're practicing **Earthbending** right now! You can go splashing once we're done."

Shaking her head to focus, Izuku righted her stance. Bending her knees into a crouch, Izuku lifted one of her fists whilst lowering the other, putting her elbows at a ninety-degree angle each.

"Much better." Mo hummed in approval, "Remember, Korra. Earthbendning is all about your stance and keeping yourself rooted to the ground. Lose that, and you lose the 'umph' behind your bending. Now let's see what you got!"

Despite wearing boots, Izuku felt the earth's power humming from beneath her as she followed her master's instructions. Stomping her right foot into the ground, a small boulder popped up and was curtly kicked away to lend in the snow a couple of meters ahead.

Mo gave a toothy grin, "Not bad!"

Back in Izuku's bedroom the boy was sound asleep with Chima by his side, murmuring to himself in his sleep.

"…Earth…bending…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Axiom: To those of you who don't work on a science/engineering degree (You lucky bastards) an axiom is a statement that is taken to be true to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments.
> 
> **DNA Sequencing: DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. The advent of rapid DNA sequencing methods has greatly accelerated biological and medical research and discovery.
> 
> DNA sequencing may be used to determine the sequence of individual genes, larger genetic regions (i.e. clusters of genes or operons), full chromosomes, or entire genomes of any organism. DNA sequencing is also the most efficient way to indirectly sequence RNA or proteins (via their open reading frames). In fact, DNA sequencing has become a key technology in many areas of biology and other sciences such as medicine, forensics, and anthropology.
> 
> A.N- I am not an expert on any of this. I do not study biology nor medicine so please take everything with a side of salt. All this technical mumbo jumbo was just a part of my OCD for details like that.
> 
> I just thought that quirks would cause a massive increase in the number of medical biology experts worldwide as more resources were undoubtedly put into it. I wouldn't be surprised if they managed to find DNA sequences that were directly correlated to quirks.
> 
> ***Quirk naming: I made that bit up. I just thought that it will be kind of overbearing and exhausting for bureaucrats to deal with so many names for essentially the same quirk when they file them in archives. I mean, besides the characters in hero courses, villains, and pro heroes, most quirks are pretty bland.
> 
> So, I made up that rule so it would make sense and to further push the plot forward.
> 
> ****So, yeah, I made Hisashi a good man and father. Honestly, it feels like 99% of the time the guy is either a villain, asshole, dead, or all of the above( And don't even get me started on the whole AFO thing).
> 
> I actually toyed with the idea for a while of making him a jerk who walked out on Izuku once he found out he was quirkless. But then I decided to think ahead and realize that would just make for an overbearing arc in the future about a father-son relationship that has no real place in the timeline I set up.
> 
> Then I came up with the idea of killing him off, But it got me thinking. I can count on my hands the number of fics I read where Hisashi is a positive part of Izuku's home life, so why don't add another one to that short list?
> 
> So, thus, I came up with the idea of Izuku having a loving and supporting family with no messed up ties to the hero/villain society. SHOCKING, I know. There is a lot I want to explore here, I will warn you, Izuku and Inko aren't the only cinnamon rolls in the family.


	8. Book 1 chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER SEVEN:

**FOUNDATIONS**

* * *

Izuku hardly remembered a time when he was as comfortable as he was now. Cuddled between his warm blanket and soft mattress, the boy smiled blissfully while he was half-conscious.

It wasn't like the boy was sleep deprived or anything, mind you, it was more like the slumber he found himself in was particularly pleasant today. He was completely content with the notion of staying in bed all day, warped in warmth and softness, and curled in on himself in his sanctuary.

And he **would** have likely stayed in bed if not for the soothing glow of his nightlight being replaced with a harsh, blinding one.

"Gooood Morning, sleepy head~!" Inko sang to her usually hyperactive son who, in contrast to his description, groaned tiredly and covered his face with his blanket.

"Hmmm…" The boy tiredly hummed before croaking through the sheets "I don't wanna get uuuuuup…".

The mother only giggled at her son's reaction, remembering the times when she was in his shoes. "You're the one who asked me to wake you up, silly! Don't you remember?"

Another tired groan left the boy's mouth, irked a bit at yesterday's him. He **did** ask her to wake him up despite having no preschool today. But he was so comfy in his bed that he didn't want to get up.

Entering the room and going towards the covered window, Inko soon parted the curtains to reveal the gentle morning sun of the early spring. _'Such a beautiful day…'_ The matriarch turned and smiled at the lump under the blanket that was her son. "You aren't going to make me drag you out of bed, are you?"

In return, the boy's grip on the blanket tightened, clearly not willing to move.

"Very well, then." Inko signed as she stood atop his bed and unceremoniously took the piece of fabric away from her son. No matter how tightly he might have grasped it, a five-year-old was no match for a grown woman in terms of strength.

And so, Izuku's form was revealed from its blankety covers.

The boy had gotten a little taller in the course of the past eight months, according to the marker signs on the door frame. His hair had grown longer and messier as well, now more untamable then ever being in his 'bed-hair' state.

After one final attempt to cover his eyes, the boy relented and began stretching, starting to wake up. "I already made breakfast." Satisfied that her son was waking up, Inko made her way out of the room "I'll be waiting for you at the table".

A quick change of clothes from his pajamas later saw the boy running out of his room, his usual energy beginning to return.

"Good to see you're up, sweetie." Inko greeted her son "Could you help me set the table up?"

Nodding in confirmation, Izuku set out to work, and before long: Both mother and son were seated on the table with an assortment of food that caused the latter to drool.

Inko had made a traditional breakfast that included some of the boy's favorite foods: miso soup, nori seaweed, steamed rice, and grilled fish. With an "Itadakimasu!" from Izuku, the Midoriyas dug in.

Both hummed and moaned in delight at the delicious food, Inko was particularly enjoying her fish which was slightly charred (just like she likes it) while Izuku repeatedly put chunks of rice on his nori or dipped the seaweed into his soup.

Inko almost burst out laughing as her son managed to make a very poorly constructed sushi from his fish, rice, and nori before he ate it all in one massive gulp. Ever since she could remember, her son held quite a unique fondness towards seafood with algae and seaweed being a favorite.

To be honest, it was kind of strange. Most kids who favored seafood were more likely to be fonder of stuff like fish, shrimp, or even octopus and squid… But her son visibly held a soft spot for underwater plants, having a small smile on his face whenever he got the chance to eat it.

If Inko didn't know any better, she would say Izuku almost looked like he felt… **Nostalgic** …?

"Hey now!" Inko chastised her son "You're eating too fast!"

The five-year-old stopped eating and stared innocently at his mother and with a still-full mouth said: "O'ory b'ob!"

That did it for Inko as she started to uncontrollably laugh out loud due to her son's actions who just continued to stare at her, bemused.

* * *

"That was delicious, mom!" Izuku complimented his mother with delight clear on his face.

"Thank you, sweetie!" Inko clapped her hands together, inwardly squealing at how adorable her son was " Do you want to take the left-overs to your friends?"

"Hmm-hmm!" Nodding in confirmation the boy bolted towards his room and quickly returned with a woven picnic basket, handing it over to his mom.

The basket was nothing special, just your run of the mill wicker basket that you didn't even know you had. Though that wouldn't be the case in terms of this light-brown basket.

The thing had been in use almost daily for over eight months now, bringing with it an assortment of treats for Izuku and his friends to share while they hung out.

Today saw the basket filled with the usual assortment of goods: Bento boxes filled with steamed rice, the grilled salmon from breakfast, and vegetables; a handful of fruits and finally, Inko's magnum opus: honey-flavored melon pan.

The Midoriya matriarch had to stop herself from indulging whenever she made that treat. As delicious as it was, it didn't really contribute to her diet.

"I'm sure your friends are going to be very happy today, Izuku!" Nevertheless, that didn't stop her from letting her son have it. Oh, how she envied her son for being young and capable of eating almost anything.

The slightest hint of an apprehensive flinch ran through the boy's face at the word 'friends'. Though, Izuku tried to camouflage his discomfort with a somewhat forced smile " Me too!"

Having the basket filled to the brim, adding just **one** more thing, the younger of the two greenettes took it in his hands in made his way out. "Thanks, mom! I'll be back soon!"

"Have fun sweetie!" Inko waved back.

* * *

By this point, the pedestrians of the streets of Musutafu became familiar with the image of Izuku running on the sidewalks with a basket in hand, especially during vacation days. While none could argue the sheer adorableness of the five-year-old carrying the basket-like an excited puppy, that did not stop their questions about the act.

None of them knew where he went almost every day with the basket, nor did they know why. Not that any of them bothered to figure it out, they had other things to do, after all.

The boy in question was currently walking in silence in his usual path, his expression somewhat glum.

_^ Inko shot a beaming smile towards her son from behind the basket "I'm sure your friends are going to be very happy today, Izuku!"^_

_'Friends…'_ Izuku signed.

He felt bad about lying to his mother like that, he really did. But discretion was key in his situation, he wasn't allowed to act rashly. For **his** sake.

You see… All this food was not for Izuku's friends to eat while they all played together…

Everything about that story was false.

Because there were no friends to play with, nor to share food with.

All this food was for himself and Chima, and it was for no one else.

It was a cover story he came up with a few days after moved away from his home. He needed to bring him food somehow, and he didn't exactly have many sources to draw from. So a simple story of 'Going to play with my friends' was enough for him to set up a basket of food for Chima.

So far, the story was bought every time Izuku had used it. Thankful that his mother didn't delve deeper into how the social circles in his kindergarten operated.

Things in kindergarten had reached a sort of a stale if he was honest. Izuku was in relatively good terms with most kids there but he couldn't exactly call them 'friends' so to speak.

The first couple of weeks were great, don't get him wrong. After the other kids calmed down and forgot about him ruining the field trip, they warmed up to him at last. Having the social barrier of quirklessness rid of allowed him to at list **talk** to them. But he soon found out that that was mostly it.

Truth be told, his interests just didn't align with those of the other kids. He was a quirk&hero nerd, through and through. And while the other kids could hold a conversation with him for a while about it, it soon got old.

It was hard to build friendships when you didn't have a common interest to build upon. He didn't share some of his classmate's interests in TV shows, seeing as he didn't have one. He also definitely didn't share a passion with any of the girls.

The only ones who had as much of an interest in heroes as himself were in Kacchan's group, but that was a whole other bag of worms.

* * *

**-8 months ago:**

"Kacchan!" Smiling, Izuku innocently waved the blonde's group as he approached them. He had been looking for them all day, too bad that it took him so long. "I wanted to talk to you!" With an unfaltering enthusiasm, the earth-manipulator strode forward to meet with the trio.

Having reached his targets, Izuku outstretched his hand and beamed a smile at them. "Can we hang out?" To the greenette's surprise, however, his smile wasn't reflected. Instead, scowls, sneers, and glares were all he received from the trio of kids as Kacchan batted his hand away.

"What the heck are you talking about, Deku?" Kacchan growled.

Izuku flinched, the nickname leaving a bad taste in his mouth as his smile faded, _'What is going on? Why does Kacchan still call me Deku?'_ "Why are you calling me Deku?" he asked with confidence that he had no idea he had, "I'm not quirkless anymore, stop it!"

A tick mark appeared on Kacchan's face "YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO?!" He barked, his load volume urging to greenette to cover his ears. "YOU THINK THAT HAVING A QUIRK MAKES YOU BETTER THAN ME?!"

"Huh?" Izuku flinched again, the yelling only adding to his growing stress.

"I've seen that stupid smile on your face all day, Deku! Did it feel good? DID IT FEEL GOOD TO LOOK DOWN ON ME LIKE THAT?!"

The forest-haired boy was visibly shaking now, fear creeping up on him with every word Kacchan uttered. "I-I don't understand!" He stuttered "I-I d-didn't look down on you, K-Kacchan!"

"THE HELL YOU DID!"The explosion-user screamed, even his lackeys flinching at his volume "You can't lie to me Deku!"

"W-w-what a-are you t-t-talking about K-Kacchan?! I never lied to you!" Izuku stepped back with fright.

Kacchan's glare hardened, tiny explosions dancing in his palms. "HERE YOU GO LYING AGAIN! JUST LIKE YOU'VE BEEN DOING FOR MONTHS!"

Kacchan panted hard, his breath lost from all his yelling. "You haven't changed at all…" the blonde croaked, "You are still the same Deku as ever…"

* * *

**-Present:**

Izuku shuddered at the memory. Things got physical after that and the two of them had been on bad terms ever since. So much so that his mother had made him promise to keep his distance from the boy. Something that he reluctantly agreed to.

But in the end, he decided it was for the best. Having human friends meant he had to juggle his time between them and Chima.

And that was a no go.

So he just played his part as the quiet kid, playing around with some of them from time to time until he could go home and meet Chima again.

The boy pushed the memories aside as the border to his destination was finally in view. Hastening his pace and shooting forward the boy only slowed a bit to appreciate the entrance to the stronghold.

Before the boy stood tall a forested park, it's shimmering green leaves a stark contrast to the dull grays and browns of the buildings. It was the same park as the one he had his first falling out with Kacchan almost a year ago, though these days the thought was pushed away from the boy's mind.

A shining smile on his face, the green-headed five-year-old stepped into the tree's shade with no hesitation whatsoever. Not that there was a reason to be worried. After all, at this point, Izuku probably knew this place better than he did his own home.

It was the only place he could be himself with no worries or repercussions, a haven for him to be who he is and do what he wants to.

It was the place he shared wonderful memories with his best (and only) friend, who lived here ever since the two met eight months ago…

"Chima!" Izuku called out excitedly when a familiar sight reached his eyes. The boy had reached his destination. Hidden away from the world by trees and shrubbery was a small, forested hill, the place Chima called home.

Not even a second later and the Badgermole in question jumped out of a small cave within the rocky base of the hill and ran at top speeds at Izuku.

A sound that could've been interpreted as an excited bark or a delighted squeal made its way out of Chima's mouth as he jumped on top of the boy, commencing his usual greeting.

"Hahaha! Chima! That tickles!" Izuku struggled to stand, an act that proved useless seeing as a giant animal was pinning him down and licking his face, showering him. Yielding to the Badgermole, Izuku simply raised his hands and cupped Chima's snout in a greeting hug "I missed you too, Chima."

It seemed that time has forgotten to pass over the young Badgermole cub during the period he knew Izuku. Chima stood taller than before, sporting an increase in both size and playfulness. His teeth and claws grew as well, to the point one wouldn't think that not too long ago they were just cute little tacks. Little tufts of white fur also begun appearing around his brown snout, resembling freckles, something that Izuku noticed and made him think that they matched.

While the change wasn't that spectacular, seeing as he got maybe 10% bigger, it was still there. Chima **clearly** acted like it was a big deal when Izuku was around, not to mention the fact that with every single day he needed more and more sustenance for himself.

Luckily, not only he got Izuku feeding him, but he also scavenges around for food around the park. One wouldn't think it, but the place was brimming with food, more than enough for Chima's needs.

And even if that wasn't enough… He could always steal food from that ridiculously loud blonde boy who comes to the park occasionally… It was pretty funny seeing his reactions…

But Izuku didn't need to know that last part.

"Are you done, Chima?" Izuku asked as he scratched Chima behind his ear, one of his many weak spots.

Nodding, the young Badgermole got up and freed the boy who wasted no time and placed the basket he brought with him to the side. Rummaging through the basket's contents for a while, the boy let out a victorious cry when he pulled out what appeared to be a football ( **A.N- soccer ball for any Americans that are reading this** ).

"You're going down today, Chima!" he smirked.

* * *

Izuku and Chima stood across from one another in the open field in complete silence. Both human and animal held each other's gaze and didn't dare to move a muscle before it was time.

Right in the middle of the duo stood the ball Izuku brought with him, resting on the ground and unmoving. Behind Chima, the entrance to the cave he called home was guarded ferociously as was done to the space behind the boy, marked by two lone tree trunks.

A single drop of sweat ran down Izuku's forehead, agitating him as it went down his face and enticing him to get out of his stance to wipe it off. Nevertheless, he didn't waver. Staying in his stance with his arms angled like blades at his sides, Izuku only dug his bare feet deeper into the ground, refusing to be caught off guard.

It has been a few months since he started to learn from Chima, and by this point, Izuku learned a thing or two.

One of which, and amongst the first things he was taught, was that rushing things was a dumb move. His quirk just wasn't built for speed, and it **certainly** wasn't suited for taking the initiative in a fight.

It was a lesson he learned the hard way when he tried stealing the ball from right under Chima's nose on their first-ever game of 'Earthball' as they called it, a mistake he didn't make twice.

When it came to his and Chima's quirk, patience was the key. After all, a rockslide wouldn't be triggered just out of anywhere. It was the earth's retaliation to something else.

So he waited. And waited. And waited some more. To the point that his green headband and tank-top were drenched from sweat that came solely from his exposure to sunlight.

**-Recommended music: Avatar: rise of the phoenix king, Agni Kai remake-**

They stayed in the standstill for a while longer, gauging each other out and not daring to move a muscle. Then, like a lightning strike from the clear blue sky, Chima acted and launched the ball towards himself with an earth catapult.

Sending the ball forward, Izuku now faced a hurtling synthetic-rubber ball heading his way. Narrowing his eye, the boy stomped the ground and caught the ball with a well-timed block of earth.

With precise and rigid movement, Izuku sent the ball right back at Chima, staying rooted on the ground and never lifting his feet too high.

Sensing the ball's trajectory, Chima charged straight ahead and swiped the ball away with his paw, sending it in an angle so it would pass around Izuku.

"Oh no, you don't!" Before the ball got the chance to get out of his field of vision, Izuku summoned forth an earth column with a devastating double-palm strike, launching the ball into the air.

Chima was left unaware of the ball's position in midair as it sailed right above him. Nonetheless, having become familiar with this particular strategy, Chima retained his cool as he summoned an earth wall to cover his gate, only to immediately send it back towards the ground once it reached its' full height.

Chima huffed at the boy as the ball rolled away from his gate, having made contact with the brief barrier the cub constructed.

"Hehehe…" Izuku laughed as he scratched his nape, "Sorry, Chima. But that move always worked on you best."

Unamused, Chima resumed the game by launching the ball back at his friend.

Intercepting it, Izuku retaliated by doing the same. The two continued to send the ball back and forth between them, so much so that the ball appeared to be in a giant pinball machine. Using a combination of low kicks and palm and elbow strikes, Izuku kept up with Chima as much as he could, trying to remain focused on the ball all the while.

The stalemate continued for a while longer, both sides getting farther away from the other in order to find an opening. Izuku was the one to find it. Chima was at the far right of the field, overextending in an effort to break the standstill. Without hesitation, the boy kicked the ball to the left, away from Chima and at a column that, upon hitting it, would ricochet the ball towards the goal.

Heart dropping, Chima made a mad dash at the ball, Managing to swipe it back at Izuku at the last second before it made its rebound.

Now overextended on the left side of the field, Chima did not receive a second to catch his breath before Izuku did the exact same thing he just did, only this time, he sent it rightward. The Badgermole ran again, desperate to intercept the ball and diving after it, only to have it sent away from him again after he managed to do so.

Chima was locked in a catch 22. Izuku kept the pressure. Every time Chima was on one side of the arena, he sent the ball in the other direction. The poor Badgermole was left with nothing to do but run from side to side across the field, diving desperately after the ball in an effort to keep the game on.

Chima needed to break out. If this kept on going then it would only be a matter of time until he missed and lost.

It was time to try a new strategy.

So he took a breath to relax. And when the ball was launched by Izuku yet again, he didn't run after it. Instead, Chima slammed his paws into the ground and formed a column in the ball's planned trajectory.

Ricocheting off the first earthen column as Izuku had planned, the boy let out an excited cry and thrust his fist into the air. Only the have his heart drop when he saw the ball rebounded to the side by the second one, bringing it to the feet of an awaiting Chima.

Smirking in victory, Chima moved the ball around his paws in a taunt before catching it between his teeth. Scratching the ground with his claws like a bull waiting to charge, the Badgermole declared a challenge.

Izuku gulped as he widened his stance, he knew where this was going.

Charging forward, Chima tried to tackle the boy who dug his feet into the ground, leaving trenches in it as he was pushed backward. The power struggle was futile. While Izuku refused to give up, that did not stop Chima from pushing them both through the gate, the ball still in his mouth.

**-End song-**

"NOOOO!" Izuku screamed and fell to his knees.

Hauling in victory, Chima ran in a circle around a skulking Izuku. Lifting his head, Izuku revealed puffed cheeks and a pouting face, "Chimmmmaaaa! You cheated! It's called 'Earthball'! Not 'RamintoIzukuball!"

Chima had the audacity the act innocent donning an expression that just **radiated** _'Really?! You can't?! Well, there was no rule against it, so I still win!'_

With a loud groan, Izuku buried his face in the dirt before beginning to laugh at the situation, "How about round two? But you can't use this trick again!"

* * *

A few hours later saw an exhausted Izuku collapse on the floor, taking in gulps of air as greedily as he usually ate Katsudon.

While catching his breath, Izuku took the time to look over himself after the game. He would've sighed if he could. He was drenched in sweat and smeared with dirt, something that usually happened to him when he spent time with Chima.

Something soft and wet grazed his cheek and refocused the boy on his companion. Chima was standing next to him with his snout mere centimeters from his head and the ball they used to play held in his mouth.

"I'm fine, Chima" The boy reassured as he stood up and stretched. "I think that's enough earthball for today."

Chima nodded in agreement. Their 'playdates' didn't always involve them playing earthball, but it was pretty common for them to do so. Other than that, they played things like tag; hide-and-seek(With Chima as the undefeated Champion), or just plain practiced with their quirks.

 ***Grrr…*** The gurgling sound that came from Izuku and Chima's stomaches simultaneously startled them both before Izuku let out a laugh. "Looks like we are both hungry."

Sitting beneath the shade of a tree, Izuku remerged through the basket he brought with him before pulling out a paper plate and some of the grilled salmon his mother made.

Chima dug into the fish with haste, contempt as Izuku pulled up what appeared to be a round-ish bun with a sparkling golden glaze decorating its' top. Biting into the Melon pan, Izuku let out a squeal of delight as the white and creamy filling that had golden streaks in it oozed out of the hole he made and smeared itself all over his face.

The creamy and chill filling reminded the boy of ice cream while the tangent of honey gave the treat all the sweetness it needed. The dough that wrapped the pastry up was just as fluffy as it was in the morning, sogginess nowhere in sight.

There was a reason that it was Izuku's and Chima's favorite dessert.

Rummaging through the basket again, Izuku pulled up not a new dish to eat but a bright green notebook with a picture of a mountain drawn on the cover. The boy turned the notebook around in his hands and a smile graced his cream-covered lips when he read the title that was written in vibrant golden letters.

'Earthbending analysis for the future Vol. 1'

That's right, an entire notebook dedicated to nothing but his quirk. It had everything Izuku knew: From the different stances he learned, a list of all his moves, and theories about what more he could do with his quirk. Even Chima had a chapter dedicated to him, seeing as they both had the same quirk.

Opening the notebook, Izuku found an empty page and began to write frivolously into it, mumbling to himself about all the things he learned today with Chima.

After a couple of minutes of writing, Izuku's eyelids started to become heavy and he let out a small yawn, being soon followed by a yawn from Chima.

So, with full bellies and exhausted from their earlier earthball tournament, the duo slowly drifted off to their slumber, leaning on each other as they closed their eyes.

* * *

**Izuku Midoriya**

**Quirk: Earthbending**

**Description: Izuku is capable of controlling the earth around him with his movements, a quirk that he seems to share with Chima.**

**Appearance: Though he has gotten slightly taller in the months since the forest incident, Izuku is still short for his age. He's main features such as his hair and freckles remained the same, but the boy had** **become slightly more athletic then he used to be, at least for his age.**

**Affiliation: None.**

**Age: 5.**

**Birthday: 15/7.**

**Height: 82.2 cm.**

**Favorite food: Katsudon.**

**Favorite thing: Chima.**

**Tidbit:**

**Izuku came up with the game of Earthball after he had a dream about kids using his quirk to play a similar looking game.**

**The rules are simple. Much like soccer, there are two gates that each of the teams must score into to gain points. The difference is that the main method of moving the ball is with Earthbending. By using earth columns, catapults, blocks, ramps, or anything that strikes their fancy.**

**The use of earth walls is almost entirely forbidden. You can summon one, but unless you get rid of it the second it reaches its' full height, it's considered a foul.**

* * *

_A sickly-sweet scent had awoken a Badgermole cub up from its peaceful slumber in the cave he called home. Getting up and stretching, the youngling soon noticed that he wasn't alone in the cave, he shared it with two others._

_He purred in content, snuggling deeper into his parents, and letting their warmth enveloped him like a hug._

_The sweet smell only intensified with time and the cub began felling groggier and groggier with it. With every second he became more tired, his muscles ached and asked him to lay down. The scent was calming as if saying 'There is nothing wrong here… just sleep…'_

_The scene around him changed and he found himself in front of an unknown figure. His voice was deep and alien "Hello there, little guy…" It spoke in an amused but reserved tone as if anticipating something._

_The cloying scent now enveloped everything around him as the figure laid something down in front of him "C'mon little guy…" The figure spoke again, the slightest bit of eagerness tracing his voice "Come here and eat…"_

_The cub got closer and closer, not noticing the figure stepping away from him as he neared his prize._ _He sniffed at it excitedly, the scent was mesmerizing for his senses, his grogginess reached unfathomably new heights as every fiber of his being danced with sluggish joy._

_Then that scent was gone, replaced by the stench of ash and fire._

_Unimaginable pain throbbed through the cub's body as he felt something warping around himself after it hit him forcefully, sending him flying. He only managed to let out a high-pitched yelp of pain before he hit the ground. Hard._

_**"Hehehehe…"** The cub heard the voice of the figure as he held his aching head in between his paws. That warmth of the voice was no longer pleasant. Instead, it was excruciatingly scorching; searing the cub's eardrums with every syllable uttered._

_**"We got ourselves quite the catch, boys** **!"** The scary man cackled with glee. The cub was whimpering in fear as he felt an uncomfortable heat build-up near his face and heard more footsteps approaching where he was._

_**"He would do nicely, Dontcha thi-"** _

_*SMACK! *_

_Something loud had tackled into the figure that produced the heat near his head, sending it flying and crashing into the hard ground with a thud._

_**"RRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRR!"** _

_Two bloodcurdling roars echoed out simultaneously, so loud that the ground itself appeared to be quivering in terror._

**_"GGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ **

_The sound of screaming began to accompany the roars, though whether its' origin came from fear or pain was uncertain._

_The cub heard the sickening smack of rocks and boulders crashing onto living flesh and bones; the roar of unbearably hot flames; an unfamiliar whooshing sound that did nothing to elevate any of its worries and fears…_

_Then, he heard that same voice from before shouting in rage in the background:_

_**"PUT A MUZZLE ON THESE THINGS!"** _

_And finally, after an eternity of hearing nothing but carnage, he heard two massive crashes; followed by whimpers._

_That was the last thing Chima heard before his grip on the scene was finally broken._

* * *

With a startled yelp, Chima shot up from his position on the ground, waking up Izuku who has been leaning on him. "Whoa!" Izuku shrieked in surprise before he fell on his side and turned to look at Chima.

It was clear the Badgermole had seen better days, he was shaking in evident fear, and his breathing ragged. "Chima…?" Izuku carefully approached the Badgermole and gently rubbed his forehead with his hand.

Jolting at the contact, Chima turned to look at Izuku with a frightened expression that gave way to relief once he recognized the boy.

"You had a bad dream, Chima?" Izuku drew circles on Chima's forehead with his hand, trying to calm him down like his mother did when **he** had nightmares.

Chima only nodded weakly before leaning into Izuku's touch and placing his head on the boy's lap. Chima continued shaking in fear, however, and Izuku noticed that every couple of seconds Chima let out choked gasps, his shoulders jumping with each breath.

Chima was sobbing.

Izuku warped his arms around Chima's neck in a hug and whispered to him gently "It's okay Chima… It was just a dream…".

In truth, Izuku wasn't sure it was. This wasn't the first time Chima had a nightmare like that, nor will it be the last. The boy didn't know what made Chima so scared, his only guess was that it was about humans.

Chima's fear of humans was something he wondered about. He guessed that he had a bad history with other humans, but he couldn't be sure. Whatever past haunted Chima, Izuku could only hope that one day Chima would get over it; Though he did want to know more about it. Did Chima had a family? Does he miss them? Do they miss them?

They stayed huddled in place for about half-an-hour before Chima calmed down and lifted his head from his position on Izuku's lap. "Do you feel better?"

Chima nodded as Izuku gently rubbed his tears away "You want to go back to sleep?".

Giving a nod in confirmation, Chima rested his head on Izuku's lap again with the boy's arms still around him.

The two fell asleep again shortly after.

* * *

The days flew by and soon became weeks, which turned to months. During which time, Izuku visited Chima daily. The two would spend hours playing games, eating together, sleeping in the shades of the trees, and whatever came to their minds. His social interaction with other kids his age remained scarce, but at this point, he hadn't minded. He was having more fun with Chima than he ever had with them anyway.

Today, Izuku held an extra cheer in his step as he walked towards the park, his entire demeanor just radiating happiness. His sixth birthday was just a few days away and the mere thought of it made him want to jump around in joy. His father will be coming to visit, something he learned only the night before but didn't stop him from being more eager than ever. He couldn't wait to show him what he learned from Chima! Not to mention that presents were awaiting him in the future.

Upon reaching their usual meeting spot, Izuku discarded his shoes and wasted no time and called out for his friend "Chima! I'm here!".

Only to get no response in return.

"Chima? Where are you?" The boy looked left and right, up and down, but there was no sign of the Badgermole. _'Where is he?'_

Izuku was puzzled. Usually, it only took Chima seconds to reach him after he called out. Something was up. The boy's gaze landed on the cave he saw Chima emerging out off many times before, _'Maybe he's sleeping in there?'_.

Stepping forward and into the cave, Izuku took in the familiar sight. The entrance did not do the place justice. The small hole opened up to reveal that almost the entirety of the hill had been hollowed out by Chima. A large stack of hay and weeds was situated near one of the walls, acting as a makeshift bed as well as the only semblance of furniture.

The boy actually spent the majority of the past winter here with Chima. They couldn't exactly play outside with all the snow and rain going on.

What Izuku did **not** remember, was the tunnel at the far reaches of the cave.

Okay, that was a lie. He did remember it. He even helped dig it out in the winter, though it was much deeper than before. Last time it was here he could still see its end if he squinted hard enough. That wasn't the case anymore. The tunnel had no end in sight; like Chima had put up a black screen over it.

Chima's been busy it seems.

"Chimaaaaaa!" He called. "Are you in there?!"

_"in there...?!"_

_"in there...?!"_

_"in there...?!"_

No response.

Izuku huffed. It was too deep for Chima to hear him, he would need to come to him. So putting a hesitant leg forward, Izuku walked into it in search of his friend, going past the area he helped dig out rather quickly. The way down the cave was not a straight one, it swished and turned, ascended and descended; soon enough no light made it through, and the boy was plunged into Egyptian darkness.

Despite this, Izuku continued moving forward, using the walls of the cave to guide him forward _'How can Chima see anything here?'_ The boy wondered until he remembered a certain detail and caught his mistake. _'Wait, Chima can't see at all…'_ Izuku hummed in concentration, the complete stillness of the cave providing an ideal place to let his thoughts wander. _'But he always knows where everything is… maybe's that part of his quirk?'_

Izuku continued to walk deeper into the cave, the only sound to accompany him was the sound of his mumbling as he did what he does best: Quirk analysis. _"Maybe-Chima-has-a-super-sense! Like-hearing-or-smelling! Or-it-could-be-like-what-those-bats-did-on-that-nature-show-me-and-mom-saw-once! *Mutter-mutter-mutter*"_

Izuku was diving deeper and deeper into his rant when a thought crossed his mind and made him stop on the spot. _'Chima's quirk is a lot like mine…'_ The boy realized _'Maybe… I can do it too?'_

A giddy smile showed up on the boy's face as the theory was put into words, _'I NEED to learn this from Chima.'_

***Trip! ***

"Whoa!"

Izuku yelped in surprise as he stumbled on a stray rock, luckily catching himself with his hands before his relationship with the ground became TOO intimate. The boy stayed on the ground in a daze, his hands still gripping it and his bare legs digging into it as he caught his breath. _'That was close…'_

 ***Rumble…** **_Thump_thump!_ ** *****

Izuku perked up as a familiar feeling ran through his limbs, the earth's vibrations.

It wasn't uncommon for this sort of thing to happen, as the months came and went and Izuku's abilities improved, he found it easier and easier to connect with the earth. Truthfully, it wasn't perfect. While he could control it most of the time, there were instances the connection was formed without Izuku's consent, like when he was emotional or deep in thought.

He wouldn't call it a pleasant surprise, so the speak, it still showed him he was nowhere near the goal of mastering his quirk. Not to mention the connection with the earth was _maayyyybe_ responsible for a broken window or two. But he wouldn't call it unpleasant, either. For some reason, whenever he's quirk was active, he always felt… Comforted? He wasn't sure how to describe it other than that it felt right to him.

So he may have let a smile grace his lips. At the end of the day, only he will know for sure in this darkness. Izuku signed as he let the vibrations course through his body, a reminder of his quirk, friend, and future as a hero, all represented by a single sensation.

Though he couldn't shake off the feeling something was off. The forest-headed boy scrunched up his brow as he realized what it was. For the first time to the boy, the chaotic and illogical vibrations that coursed through him weren't the same pandemonium he was used to. Sure, it was still here, continuing to rumble in its usual disarray, but it wasn't alone. Something new joined that topsy turvy, something Izuku never felt before. It was a weak and slow thumping, barely noticeable amidst the usual chaos; But it was distinct enough for the boy to differentiate between the two, like the way you can hear one instrument over the entire orchestra.

 _'Weird…'_ Izuku hummed before he stood up and continued on his way, the world waits for no one like his father likes to say.

So he kept walking, still using the cave's walls as his guide forward. As time went by and the farther he got, Izuku noticed another peculiarity in his surroundings. A sound he was all too familiar with greeted him once he reached a certain depth, the sound of earth smashing against earth.

***Bam! ***

Naturally, the sounds Izuku heard only intensified as he neared their source, causing him the pause briefly once he noticed its frequency was reminiscent of the vibrations he felt earlier, but only briefly.

***BAM! ***

_'That was close!'_ Izuku flinched a bit as the ground weakly shook, causing him to stumble. Shaking his head to refocus himself, the boy soon went forward and came face to face with a wall of fur.

Literally.

Recoiling from the crash, Izuku was pushed backward and yelped as he landed on the ground with a thud. Alerting the one he tackled to his presence had he not felt him from the impact.

Izuku made no effort to get up from his sitting position as he heard the shuffling of feet in front. Instead, he opted to greet the one he was looking for.

"Chima! I found you!" The happiness in Izuku's voice was not lost on the Badgermole's ears as he licked his companion's face in his usual greeting."Hehehehe…" The boy giggled as he hugged Chima back before a thought crossed his mind and his curiosity went to the top of his priority list.

"Say, Chima…" Izuku broke the hug and turned his head to look around, a futile effort in this darkness but the gesture was involuntary "What are you doing here? I thought we only dug here because we didn't have anything else to do in the winter."

In response, Chima only stretched and let out a low, but excited, hum to acknowledge the boy. While to most, it seemed as though the Badgermole had ignored the boy's question; To Izuku, who had become quite adept at reading his friend, the message was clear.

'Just wait and see…'

Whatever it was, Chima was sure excited about it. And from the way the Badgermole held himself, Izuku was sure that he would get his answer soon.

Chima turned away from him and stabbed his paws into the cave wall before him, taking out chunks of earth from it as his hind paws compressed loose rocks into the ground.

"You need any help? It would be faster if I joined you." The greenette couldn't stop himself from asking, there was no way to stop that part of his personality.

The boy felt a whish of wind grazing his face, a sign he came to associate with Chima wagging his tail more animatedly. He smiled like he always did when he could help someone and stepped forward, standing side by side with the Badgermole.

Thrusting his hands into the rock, Izuku wriggled his fingers in it, listening to the cracks forming before he cupped his hands and pushed outwards, taking some earth away with him.

They both entered a rhythmic trance of digging, stabbing into the earth, and taking some out. Both worked hard and diligently on their task, not minding when dust and dirt dirtied their clothes or fur in the process.

The physical toll took its hold on the boy, his breathing became ragged and his face was sweaty from all the digging. Nevertheless, he refused to let himself stop just yet, _'A hero won't give up!'_ he told himself.

Thrusting his hands into the wall one more time, Izuku widened his eyes when instead of digging **into** the wall, they dug **through** it. The cold air on the other side of the wall grazed gently against Izuku's fingertips as a wide smile formed on his face "We made it! Chima, we made it!"

Izuku and Chima continued to dig in a new fervor, taking away chunks of earth with each thrust of their limbs. However, confusion soon took its hold on the boy when he noticed the lack of light coming from the ever-widening hole they made, _'It can't be night already…'_

Soon enough, the hole was big enough for Chima to go through and the two made their way past it.

What greeted them was something Izuku could've never expected. A cool breeze flowed through the air as Izuku darted his head from right to left. He still couldn't see anything, not a spec of light was visible in the space he was in. Izuku was confused. It felt like he was outside, so there had to be **some** sort of light, but there was nothing. The boy wandered a bit, trying to make sense of things when he hit a stone wall.

"Ow! Izuku rubbed his head and let his hand graze over the cold surface. He felt around it, trying to find where it ended so he could go around it, but no matter how far he went, the wall was still there.

"What is this place, Chima?"

_"Chima...?"_

_"Chima...?"_

_"Chima...?"_

Izuku asked aloud and shivered a bit when he heard his echo repeat what he said over and over. He got a response a few ways behind where he was; the Badgermole cub hummed softly, clearly content with being here.

The boy walked back towards Chima as he donned his 'thinking face' and cupped his chin in his hands. _'So there's a big wall behind me… and I and Chima came out from that cave…after going downward for the last thirty minutes...'_ Izuku slowly came to a halt when realization dawned on him.

_'No way…'_

The duo was located inside a **gargantuan** cave. Its' worm-like shape stretching so far that the boy couldn't comprehend how large it truly was while also wide and tall enough that Godzillo would likely be able to walk through it with no problem.

The boy gaped in awe. "This is amazing!" he let out a shout and giggled when he heard his echo in the cave, this time not afraid. "You knew about this, Chima… right?"

The Badgremole hummed in confirmation before he suddenly perked up in alert.

***R-R-R-R-Rumble...***

Izuku's eyes widened as the ground began to shake violently around him. Stumbling in place, he waved his hands around in an effort to find something to latch onto for support, soon finding it in Chima. "W-what's going on?!" The boy nervously asked. The thought of an earthquake soon crossed his mind and his heart sank as a nightmarish scenario played in his head.

***BOOM!***

Before another thought could cross Izuku's mind, the deafening smash of blown up earth and stone coursed through the cave and caused his already sunk heart to go deeper. Particles of dust hitched a ride with the natural airflow of the cave, agitating the boy's eyes and forcing him to squeeze them shut.

***Thump! ***

***Thump! ***

***Thump! ***

Still clutching on to Chima for dear life, Izuku let out shaky and terrified gasps as he heard thundering footsteps heading their way. Each alone probably belonging to something **much** larger than Chima himself.

As these footsteps came mere meters away from the duo and Izuku prepared for the inevitable… They stopped.

The boy blinked both in confusion and to relieve the prickling dust in his eyes as he felt a rush of hot air ruffling his hair.

***Hummmmm...?***

A low hum vibrated through the air, a kind Izuku knew all too well.

He heard it almost every day from Chima.

But something was off.

For one, Chima himself wasn't humming at the moment, Izuku would've felt his body vibrate if that was the case. Secondly, the hum sounded different. It was deeper and louder than the ones Chima produced.

"What's going on, Chima?" Izuku finally found the courage to raise his voice and addressed his friend, wanting to find some familiarity in the situation.

Now with his focus on his friend, the boy noticed that his companion was pretty relaxed considering the situation. His breath wasn't irregular, he wasn't shaking, and he even seemed kind of happy, considering Izuku could feel he was wagging his tail.

Then another hum was heard by the boy, containing a curious glint that Izuku was sure he heard before from his friend. That sound was the final piece of the puzzle Izuku needed to realize what was going on and his eyes widened.

If there was any light, one could see the boy's eyes shine in wonder.

Before Izuku stood more of Chima's kind.

Adult Badgermoles.


	9. Book 1 chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.

* * *

**Previously on Avatar, Era of Izuku:**

Thrusting his hands into the wall one more time, Izuku widened his eyes when instead of digging **into** the wall, they dug **through** it. The cold air on the other side of the wall grazed gently against Izuku's fingertips as a wide smile formed on his face "We made it! Chima, we made it!"

Izuku and Chima continued to dig in a new fervor, taking away chunks of earth with each thrust of their limbs. However, confusion soon took its hold on the boy when he noticed the lack of light coming from the ever-widening hole they made, _'It can't be night already…'_

Soon enough, the hole was big enough for Chima to go through and the two made their way past it.

What greeted them was something Izuku could've never expected. A cool breeze flowed through the air as Izuku darted his head from right to left. He still couldn't see anything, not a spec of light was visible in the space he was in. Izuku was confused. It felt like he was outside, so there had to be **some** sort of light, but there was nothing.

The duo was located inside a **gargantuan** cave. Its' worm-like shape stretching so far that the boy couldn't comprehend how large it truly was while also wide and tall enough that Godzillo would likely be able to walk through it with no problem.

***R-R-R-R-Rumble...***

***BOOM!***

Before another thought could cross Izuku's mind, the deafening smash of blown up earth and stone coursed through the cave and caused his heart to sink. Particles of dust hitched a ride with the natural airflow of the cave, agitating the boy's eyes and forcing him to squeeze them shut.

***Thump! ***

***Thump! ***

***Thump! ***

Clutching on to Chima for dear life, Izuku let out shaky and terrified gasps as he heard thundering footsteps heading their way. Each alone probably belonging to something **much** larger than Chima himself.

As these footsteps came mere meters away from the duo and Izuku prepared for the inevitable… They stopped.

***Hummmmm...?***

If there was any light, one could see the boy's eyes shine in wonder.

Before Izuku stood more of Chima's kind.

Adult Badgermoles.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER EIGHT:

**A WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET**

* * *

Izuku gulped and fell on his rear as the group of massive beasts approached him. Kicking up dust with every thunderous step they took, the Badgermole paced around the terrified boy, sniffing at him and brushing their whiskers against his face.

The forest-haired kid did everything in his power to hold back the fear that bubbled inside him. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from shaking like a Chihuahua. Cold sweat ran down his face and spine as damp hands clutched nervously at the ground. Even though he couldn't see anything, Izuku could practically **feel** the attention of the massive beasts that scrutinized him. Inspecting everything about him that they could while making sure he couldn't do anything without them noticing.

Chima was one thing, but **this** was different.

They might've been from Chima's kind, but that's all he knew. What was to stop them from deciding he was an enemy and attack him? Chima was afraid of other humans. Who's to say the rest of his species didn't hold the same kind of aggression?

Speaking of whom, it appeared Chima was the only one in the group who seemed to take everything in stride. His relaxed demeanor was a stark contrast to that of the apprehensive Badgermoles and the terrified Izuku.

Something that was soon noticed by the others.

***Huuuuummm? ***

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as he felt that the pressure the animal produced was being lifted away, their attention now on Chima.

Chima had let out a dismissive snort and gestured towards the boy, causing the other Badgermoles to hum again in response.

"Chima, what are you doing?" Izuku decided to speak and got the attention of the others again. Thankfully, this time the pressure they exuded was much lighter than it was before. The greenette got no answer other than the sound of the adult Badgermoles turning around and walking off. _'What was that about? Why come here and just leave?'_

Before Izuku got a chance to go along with his train of thought, he was pulled out of it by a gentle nudging from Chima. Izuku tilted his head "What is it, Chima?" The only response he got was another nudge.

"You want to follow them?"

Chima let out a hum of confirmation and Izuku's face morphed into a strained smile. He was still kind of afraid of the other Badermoles. A big part of him wanted to turn tail and return to the park.

But that wasn't about him right now. Even if he was afraid, he still owed it to Chima. The poor cub was probably terrified every day when a human got too close to the area he lived in in the park. He was horror-stricken on the day they moved him there, having been forced to be smuggled through the streets of Musutafu.

Chima dealt with this kind of fear daily by being in proximity to other humans. So it would be the least of things Izuku could do for Chima in return.

"All right, Chima!" He called and planted a foot forward, "Let's go!"

***Trip! ***

Unfortunately, before he got very far, the poor boy tripped in the darkness and found himself face first in the dirt.

"Ow…"

***Snort! ***

An amused snort grabbed Izuku's attention away from his whining and he turned around to glare at its source. Sure, he couldn't see anything in the cave and the target of the glare was blind, but that wasn't the point.

"That's not funny, Chima…" The boy pouted in annoyance.

Chima merely shook his head before crouching near the forest-haired kid on all four of his legs. Izuku, who couldn't see anything, merely stared at empty air before yelping in surprise when he felt Chima's tail curl up around his waist. "C-Chima! W-what are you doing?!" The boy got his answer when he felt Chima directing him towards him using his tail. Being pushed slightly up, Izuku followed the instruction and found himself crouching on Chima's back.

The realization made its way to Izuku, "You want me to ride you?". Feeling Chima nod in confirmation from his position on top of him, the boy righted himself and sat upright on the Badgermole's back.

Now with Izuku secure in his spot, Chima got up and joined the other Badgermoles who were waiting for them a little further ahead. The cub couldn't avoid the pep in his step as the group made their way deeper into the tunnel, the familiar place bringing him a sense of nostalgia.

Izuku, on the other hand, was left staring at the complete darkness in silence as he felt Chima walking on the cave floor, swaying left and right. Left and right.

He kind of liked it, riding Chima like this.

Maybe they should do this more?

* * *

Or maybe not.

Well, at least not for THREE. HOURS.

That's was how much time Izuku spent in the darkness, sitting on top of Chima's back. The only sound keeping him company was that of paws hitting the ground. Needless to say that Izuku wasn't feeling at the top of the world right now. He was tired; His eyes were dry from keeping them open for so long, (he couldn't tell if they were open or not) AND, he was sore in places he didn't even know **could** be sore.

"Are we there yet?" The small whine echoed through the tunnel, disturbing the relative quiet for a few seconds.

To his surprise, Chima let out a snort of a similar tone to his whine at the adult Badgermoles, showing he was just as frustrated as his partner was.

The two only got an exasperated grunt in return, which did nothing to better their mood.

Frustrated, Izuku let himself lay down on Chima's back, planting face first into it. They stayed in silence for a few more minutes before the boy lifted his head again, a surprising sight meeting his eyes.

For the first time in hours, Izuku could see light.

Green radiance illuminated the far reaches of his line of sight, appearing like a small flare of emerald light at the end of the tunnel. The boy could do nothing but smile as the flare appeared to get bigger with each step Chima took, and with it, their destination. "We're here!" Chima wasted no time and ran ahead of the group of Badgermoles, Izuku clinging to his back as to not fall all the while.

With every pounce, the small flare's size and strength were magnified. Precious Light seeped through, allowing the boy to finally get a real view at the tunnel's true proportions.

But that didn't matter right now, all that did was right in front of the duo.

When they finally emerged from the tunnel Izuku closed his eyes, the light hurting them after spending hours in darkness. Cool and damp air filled Izuku's lungs as he took deep breaths, savoring the refreshing air that reminded him of the forest he met Chima.

Izuku's eyes quickly adjusted into the new light, his pupils shrunk. Opening them, he was greeted to a sight he would never forget.

The dark tunnel the two had just left had expanded into a massive cavern, its sheer scale dwarfing anything Izuku had ever seen. The place they stood on served as an observation point, allowing the boy to take the magnificent sight in.

From their lookout, Izuku could see giant pillars of stone and rock rising from the cave's unseen floor in the dozens, some reaching all the way up to the ceiling while others stopped midway, creating earthen platforms of various heights so large one could build houses on them.

Archways made of stone connected these platforms to one another, creating a web of connecting pathways that sometimes branched off into a tunnel that led outside of the cavern. Green moss and crystals covered just about every square meter of the space. Engulfing the walls, pillars, and ceiling as well as illuminating the entire subterranean area in majestic emerald color.

Sparkling waterfalls emerged from holes near the cave's ceiling, pushing streams of water through the crevices of a forest of stalagmites that adorned the cavern's floor far below them, appearing as jagged and menacing teeth. The water flowed down through those crevices, pooling at a majestic underground lake, it's waters shimmering in emerald light and it's rocky beaches the only place on the cave's floor that lacked the stalagmites' presence.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

The adult Badgermoles that have caught up to them weren't even registered in Izuku's mind as he gaped at the scene in awe, trying to take it all in.

Chima fared a little better. The youngling wasn't as awestruck as Izuku, but he too stopped to take it in. He took in a deep breath, letting the familiar damply air fill his lungs as he listened to all the different sounds he remembered from this place.

"Wow…" Izuku's awestruck expression soon morphed into a gleeful smile as the light of curiosity shone brightly within his eyes "Let's go! We gotta get down there!"

* * *

Izuku could barely contain his excitement as he and Chima walked through the cavern side by side, he was practically like a kid in a candy store!

Well… The kid part was accurate, you just needed to replace the 'store' with 'cave' and 'candy' with 'the-most-mindboggling-cavalcade-of-quirked-animals-anyone-has-ever-seen!'.

Other Badgermoles like Chima were everywhere in sight, taking residence around the lake and some of the lower platforms. Most of which were the same size as the adults that came here with them; Massive beasts the size of bi-level train cars that could easily cause grown men to faint from the fear of being near them. Smaller cubs; some younger than Chima, some older; and some about the same age; Appeared here and there amongst the adults.

 _'Is this Chima's home?'_ Izuku asked himself. _'His **real** home…?'_

Besides the Badgermoles, multiple species Izuku had never seen before were scattered around the cavern, each more captivating and unique than the last.

A small group of large, mammal-like creatures with star-shaped noses and no eyes was currently drinking water from the lake. Beside them were what could only be described as mustached alligators who were swimming peacefully in the water.

Wolf-like creatures with a somewhat scary face and wings dotted the cave's upper levels, keeping a clear distance from any Badgermole at the cave's floor. Turning his head, Izuku smiled as he watched what looked like small prairie dogs popping out of little holes in the cave's floor. They were being chased by Badgermole cubs as part of a game, singing a little note every time one of them popped out of the ground.

Fireflies illuminated the air around Izuku, their light reflected in his eyes in the form of sparkles. On the ground, little white grasshoppers with four legs were bouncing about aimlessly, sometimes getting the attention of what looked like a cross between a frog and a badger. Little rabbits with impossibly long ears doted from place to place, entering and exiting burrows in the blink of an eye.

Izuku was left with nothing to do but gape in awe at every new animal he saw, the mere thought of doing anything else wasn't even being processed. "This is amazing, Chima!" The boy managed to mutter under his breath, causing his companion to pump up his chest as if saying 'Yep! I Know places!'

The two continued to explore for a while, walking around and meeting other animals. Most stayed clear of Izuku, which saddened the boy. But he figured that if a stranger walked up to him, he would be wary as well. It was probably the first time any of them had ever seen a human before. As someone who's first encounter with an animal ever almost ended up being his last, he could understand.

Though the Badgermoles didn't seem to mind, for some reason. Maybe it was because he was there with Chima, but still, the sheer nonchalance the Badgermoles held for his presence was astounding.

That was why Izuku and Chima found themselves mingling with the creatures. All around them, dozens upon dozens of Badgermoles were busy doing their thing. Some were eating; Others sleeping; The youngest ones were playing, and the adolescent ones appeared to be training.

It was the latter-most group that Chima and Izuku found the most interesting, opting to sit on a nearby boulder and watch.

It was quite a spectacle.

On the farthest reaches of the 'training ground', an area the size of a stadium on the beach, three adolescents appeared to be raising and collapsing giant walls of earth and crystal(Izuku filed that he could probably use his quirk on crystals for later), competing amongst themselves on who could make the largest wall. A little to the right, an adult constructed earthen targets for the younger ones to shoot down, showing remarkable aiming skills despite being blind. Occasionally, the boy saw a hole being opened out of the ground, and out came a jumping Badgermole like a dolphin; only to dive back into the tunnel he made a second later.

"Wow…" Izuku gaped in wonder as he watched the younglings perform. He was nowhere near skilled enough to do what they can. "Think we can join, Chima?" The boy practically begged his companion, eagerness palpable in his voice and eyes.

Unfortunately for him, Chima shook his head in denial.

"Awwww…" The boy slumped in disappointment, before perking up as a thought crossed his head "Can I still learn something?". This place was filled with Chima's kind, all of whom seemed to possess the same quirk he and Izuku had, it would be a waste to come here and have nothing to show for it.

Chima hummed in thought and tilted his head, contemplating on Izuku's request.

Now, what was a thing Izuku should know but didn't yet?

Just then, a small group of Badgermole cubs, even younger and smaller than Chima, walked by them in a straight line, following an adult female. The cubs showed a clear lack of spatial awareness as they collided with one another and left their position in the line, causing it to resemble more of a zigzag.

Izuku raised a questionable brow. This was the first time he ever saw someone of Chima's kind this disoriented. Up until now, the Badgermoles demonstrated better orientation than everyone and anyone he had ever met.

Chima, on the other hand, appeared as though a lit light bulb appeared above his head as if saying 'Bingo'.

"Whoa! Hey! What are you doing, Chima?!" Izuku yelped in surprise as he felt Chima pushing him towards the marching cubs with his snout. Turning around, Izuku eyed Chima, silently asking for an explanation.

Chima only pointed with his head at the cubs and gestured to the boy 'Go on.'

Izuku quickly caught on to Chima's massage "You want me to follow them, right?" As the end of the line finally passed by them, the boy got up from his sitting position and joined the march himself, eager to start his lesson like always.

But when he looked behind him, he saw that Chima remained in his spot, keeping track of him as he got further and further. "You're coming, Chima, right?" Izuku asked with slight panic.

Chima shook his head in denial. While he wanted to go with his friend, this was something he needed to figure out on his own. What the boy needed to learn now couldn't be taught. Besides, just because Izuku couldn't join the 'advance training' didn't mean Chima couldn't.

Izuku slumped his shoulders in disappointment and apprehension. He was scared to part from his friend, the only familiar being in this place. The sheer thought of not seeing Chima again was definitely his worst fear. But he still had faith in Chima. If the Badgermole wasn't wary about sending Izuku off with the other Badgermoles than he would be safe, he would see Chima again.

Clenching his fist in determination, Izuku faced the dark tunnel the group was about to enter with a steeled gaze. Whatever it was he was being sent to learn, Izuku would make sure he masters it.

* * *

It turns out it was easier said than done.

As Izuku and the group of young cubs made their way blindly in the dark tunnels, ramming into each other randomly, the boy still struggled to do **anything**. He tripped more times than he could count; His knees and palms were scraped, And he was pretty sure he made an enemy for life in the form of a Badgermole he kept ramming into.

At least he figured out what he was supposed to learn. It didn't take Izuku long to notice the lack of spatial awareness the cubs had in contrast to the older ones, seeing as they kept colliding with him. The boy figured that this was a lesson on how to gain that awareness. And since he was told to follow them by Chima, he figured it had something to do with their quirk.

But that's all he had, honestly. The boy had no idea how his earth manipulation abilities were supposed to help him 'see' anything in this place. All he could do for now was keep walking in the dark. Hoping that in a moment of inspiration he would figure it out.

He didn't expect any help from the adult leading their little march. Not only the boy probably wasn't able to read her as well as he could Chima but, as far as he knew, the older Badgermole didn't involve herself in the teaching of any of the cubs.

He was on his own, left to figure it all out for himself. The adult was probably here just to make sure no one got into trouble.

With nothing to do, Izuku decided that activating his quirk was better than do nothing and had let the familiar chaotic tremors course into his feet and through his body.

Who knows? Maybe his answer was there?

A fond smile formed on the boy's face at the familiar feeling, he would never get tired of it. The vibrations tickled his feet and toes like they always did and Izuku let himself become lost in the sensation as he made his track in the tunnel. It was almost hard to believe that a year ago he couldn't even tap into his quirk properly. Never mind being capable of maintaining his connection to the earth while moving.

But practice did make perfect.

So, that's what he did. For a good hour, Izuku walked through the dark tunnels with only his thoughts (and the occasional bumping into a Badgermole cub) keeping him company.

That was when he made his breakthrough.

***Ba-dump Ba-dump***

_'Weird…'_ The boy hummed to himself. The usual random turmoil of vibrations that he felt was accompanied by a rhythmic beating that almost overpowered everything else. But while it certainly was new, Izuku couldn't shake the feeling he felt it before…

 _'Wait… that's it! I felt it when I looked for Chima!'_ The boy's interest peaked. Prior to today, the tremors he felt whenever he used his quirk had no order to them and seemed to vibrate without cause. Never had Izuku felt any sort of frequency through the earth, and the child would lie if he said that he wasn't curious about it.

***thump - ba-dump ***

Izuku heard one of the cubs plant their paw into the ground a few meters behind him, a soft and gentle quivering passed by the balls of his feet at the exact same moment.

***Thump - Ba-dump***

Another cub took a step only a couple of meters in front of the boy, accompanied by a weak tremor that the boy felt wiggle his way through his toes. Unknowingly, Izuku quickened his pace with each tremor he felt, cutting through other Badgermoles as his excitement grew with each new vibration.

**_*thump - ba-dump*_ **

This time, the boy barely caught the sound of a cub on his far-right, all the while what could barely count as a tickle was registered on his right foot.

The greenette was full-on sprinting now, unable to contain all the giddy energy that was built within him. He almost had it! He was sure of it! He ran by more and more Badgermoles, making his way to the front of the group and when he reached it, all the pieces were put into place.

***TTTHHHUUUMMMPPP! – BA-DUUUUUUUMMMPPPP!***

Izuku heard the loud stomping of the adult Badgermole's foot mere centimeters away from him, but that wasn't what fazed him. What did was the practical earthquake that Izuku felt when the beast's foot went down, shaking him to the core and knocking him to the ground from its' sheer strength.

Now, he finally had an answer.

Whenever Izuku felt the rhythmic tremors pass by his feet, he also heard the stomping of the other Badgermoles' paws on the ground at the **exact** moment. Not only that, but it felt like the tremor themselves came from the same direction as the sound. He could feel the stomp of paws against the hard ground. Visualize the vibrations coursing through the earth until the entire tunnel was enveloped in it. He could tell roughly where the Badgermoles were: Behind, in front, to the right, to the left…

_'I'm feeling them through the earth!'_

It all made sense now. How Chima could see so well even when he was blind; Why every single one of Chima's species could do it; Why Chima thought… No, he **knew** , that Izuku could do it too!

The ability to sense the world around oneself with the vibrations of the ground. THAT was the skill Chima sent him here to master. _'This is SO COOL!'_ Izuku gushed in his mind. A whole new application to his quirk; he was going to have a field day analyzing it when he got home!

Leaning on his hands in preparation to get up, Izuku stopped himself as he felt vibrations course through his arms. The boy contemplated. _'My quirk's stronger when I'm walking on all four…'_. Placing both of his hands on the ground, Izuku began walking forward on all four, just like his badger-y entourage.

The vibrations immediately intensified in their fervor. Suddenly, what was once only a vague understanding of his surrounding got into a focus, Like putting on glasses for the first time. Vague direction got pinpointed. Behind turned to five and seven o'clock; right into two and a half; left into ten, and in front into one. Figuring out distance wasn't exactly doable at the moment; and he couldn't pinpoint more than five of the Badgermoles at the same time. But a good start was a good start.

And it felt amazing. To feel so many rhythms singing together at once and being able to distinguish them from one another, reading their meaning. It was almost surreal, after all, logic dictated that he should only feel senseless vibrations…

"!" Izuku almost stumbled in his stride as the thought crossed his mind.

Could it be? Could the senseless and chaotic tremors that he felt whenever he used his quirk be used to sense his surroundings? Were the disordered vibrations just like the tremors the cubs generated? An assortment of different quaking echoes, all coursing through the ground in harmony and giving it voice?

All this time, it was just under his nose and he didn't even realize it.

Izuku was sure of one thing now, more than ever. The journey to master his quirk had only just begun. He still had a long way ahead of him.

* * *

"Chima! Chima! I'm back!" As soon as Izuku was back into the crystal cave, the boy hurried over to where he last saw his friend, not even minding the bright light of the cavern that stung his eyes a bit.

The Badgermole in question was currently smudged on the hard ground, not even lifting his head in greeting. Chima huffed and puffed in exhaustion as his muscles ached and his head was spinning. Whatever he did while Izuku was gone, it wasn't easy.

"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" The boy leaned on his knees and took a closer look at Chima. The Badgermole was covered head to tail with dirt and grime from whatever he was doing here. His fur was a mess, disheveled and unruly while mud-covered up his snout, clearly agitating him.

Izuku extended a hand to pet Chima, only to get a closer look at it for the first time in a while. Now that the boy could see, it was obvious he was in no better shape than Chima was. Izuku's already messy hair appeared to be defying all the rules of physics by becoming even messier. The boy's clothes, much like his arms and feet, had gotten dirty with dust and mud that was accumulated through his track in the tunnel, the fabric's original color masked by lairs of dust.

"We need a bath…" Izuku dreaded the look his mother was going to give him. No doubt she was going to banish him to the bathroom for the rest of the week once he got home.

Chima, who was still slumped on the ground, perked his ears suddenly and started to get up as if he remembered something important. "Oh! You're up!" Chima managed to bring himself to a stand and shook off some of the lairs of dirt he had on him before warping his tail around Izuku's waist and dragging him off somewhere.

"C-Chima! Not Again!"

The Badgermole simply continued to drag the flabbergasted boy deeper into the cave, taking him from platform to platform via archways of stone and green crystals. The boy let out a small yelp when a flock of insects flew right through them, some tacking into his hair before resuming as if nothing happened. Turning to look at them, his mouth gaped as he saw hundreds of orange and yellow butterflies flying in formation above and below the stone archways; joining with even more butterflies before landing on the copper deposits that dotted some of the pillars there.

Walking above a bridge between two platforms, Izuku looked down and saw a large river coursing below. Dolphin-like creatures with blue backs and white undersides, as well as fins that resembled wings, jumped out of the water every-so-often, staying in the air for an unnatural amount of time before diving back in. For some reason, he felt an unexplained urge to ride them.

Eventually, the duo came face to face with one of the walls of the massive cavern. An entrance to a small tunnel was embedded there, green crystals illuminating it's beggings and continued down with the tunnel itself. "You want to go down there?" Izuku questioned Chima's choice with a raised eyebrow.

All he got in response was Chima heading down the tunnel in silence. And with him still tied to Chima, it was obvious he followed. Eventually, Chima uncoiled his tail and the two found themselves walking through the tunnel in silence as the cave turned downwards, deeper into the earth.

At some point, the air around Izuku became hot and humid, so that even with how sweaty he was, his body wasn't getting colder*. Inhaling deeply, hot air filled the boy's lungs, warming up Izuku's insides in a way that would be comforting if not for how winded he was.

The boy's curiosity was picked, "Where are we going?". Though Chima preferred to be enigmatic about the destination and remained quiet, Izuku's question would be answered soon enough.

The sound of rippling water soon overtook every other sound so that even their footsteps were muffled. Steam began to form around the two, clouding Izuku's field of vision as the tunnel finally opened up into a larger cave.

"Where are we?" Izuku's head darted to left and right in an attempt to grasp their location. Unfortunately, it was to no avail as a large amount of steam clouded his vision to the point he couldn't tell how big the cave was.

Taking a few cautious steps, the boy wandered around the entrance and tried to swat some of the steam that fogged the area "Chima? Whe- WHOA!"

***Splash! ***

Before the boy knew what happened, his feet found no ground to step on and he fell forward. Instead of feeling the hard ground hitting him, Izuku's eyes widened in surprise as hot water enveloped his body and he found himself submerged underwater.

Luckily, the boy could swim, and after reorienting himself he made his way to the surface "Bwaaa! *Cough! * *Cough! * *Cough! *" Coughing out some water, Izuku rubbed his eyes and turned to look around himself.

Izuku was in the middle of a rather deep pool (good thing too, considering he fell headfirst into it). The Slightly green water rippled gently in ring patterns and produced the steam that enveloped the place. The rocks on the pool's edge were slippery, not even covered in moss as the soft light that came from the crystal stalactites got reflected off them.

Chima was standing at the pool's edge, taking in the humid air with deep breaths.

"You knew about this place, didn't you?" The forest-haired boy asked as he climbed out of the pool and looked over himself. Luckily, he was uninjured, but he was now soaked from head to toe, his drenched clothes sticking to his skin.

"Ughhh… Now I have to wait until my clothes dry up!" Izuku whined. He took off his drenched shirt and pants, placing them on a nearby dry stone. Hopefully, they would dry out quickly.

In response to his whine, however, Chima only playfully nudged the boy and gestured with his head to the hot spring he just got out of.

A gleeful smile developed on the boy's face as he realized what Chima was proposing. "Well, if we need to wait here, we can have fun at least!" With that, Izuku wasted no time and left his clothes to dry, running towards the spring.

"CANNON BAAAAALLLL!"

***Splash! ***

The boy splashed down into the spring, emerging from the water a few seconds later giggling "Hehehehe! Chima! You coming?" Izuku waved the Badgermole over.

***Splash! ***

"Whoa!" The greenette shielded himself as Chima jumped in and sent water flying everywhere with a massive splash. "Hey!" Izuku protested in annoyance as Chima was smirking in victory. "How about **this**!" The boy pushed against the water, aiming at the Badgermole.

***Splash! ***

"Hehehehe…" The greenette chuckled as Chima donned an unamused expression, his white eyes shielded by a coat of wet fur. "You had it coming, Chima!"

And so, the two spent the next few hours having a water fight and enjoying themselves in the springs. The sound of the boy's laugher echoing through the cave and the tunnels that led to it.

* * *

Time flew by quickly and before he knew it, Izuku was walking out of the hot-springs tunnel with Chima in toe, both sporting damp hair like a fashion trend. "That was so fun!" The boy laughed joyfully. Had he known this place existed he would've helped Chima's digging every day.

Chima himself seemed satisfied as well. The Badgermole missed taking baths in the hot springs, he hasn't felt this clean in ages!

"So, what do we do now, Chima?" Izuku asked out of the blue as he struggled to stifle a yawn. It was only now that it caught up to him how much had happened during the day: The trip to get here; Their exploring of the cave; Izuku's training session; the hot springs...

It was only then and there when the boy realized something important. "Wait! What time is it?! I need to go back home!" Izuku panicked. With no clock or daylight to tell him the hour, it could've been midnight for all he knew. His mother was going to kill him!

"We need to go back!"

Hearing the urgency in the boy's voice, Chima lowered himself to allow the boy to climb up.

"Thanks!" With a little grunt of effort, the boy was now seated securely on the Badgermole's back and without further ado: they took off.

Casting one final look behind him, Izuku let out a small smile as he watched the emerald light of the cave becoming dimmer with the distance growing. Patting the Badgermole's head as he ran forward, the boy involuntary let out one statement before turning back, "We'll be back…"

Luckily, the trip back took a lot less time than before, only about half as long. The duo found themselves in the park they left just that morning, Chima panting and struggling to catch his breath.

"You were amazing, Chima." The boy patted his companion's head as he got off him and took a look around. It was late dusk. The orange dim of the sky was almost completely faded, giving rise to the dark of night, "Just made it…". Stiffing a yawn, Chima turned around and made his way back to the cave, as he always did at the end of a day.

"Are you going back there?"

The question left Izuku's mouth without his consent.

Chima stopped.

Now that Chima had a way to return to the rest of his kind, would he have a reason to stay? So far, Chima was here in the park because it was the safest place for him. But that was no longer the case.

Izuku closed his eyes, tears threatening to spill out at the mere notion. He wasn't Chima, even if he did master the Badgermole's navigation abilities, he would never be able to come to visit him daily anymore. The journey would cost too much time.

Is it goodbye? The last time he would see his best friend before he would enter that cave of his and never come out?

***Puuuuuuuurrrrrrr…***

_'Eh?'_

Izuku felt something soft and warm nuzzling against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he found it was Chima, rubbing his snout against his face and purring. One look at Chima's face was all he needed to have his worries lifted. With a mere expression, he knew exactly what message Chima hoped to convey: _'I'm not going anywhere without you.'_

Rubbing his eyes dry and grinning a shaky smile, the boy warped his arms around Chima's snout.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Chima…"

With that, the duo parted ways for the day.

* * *

"Izuku, did you remember to take your lunch with you?"

"Yes, mom!"

"What about your notebooks?!"

"I never forget them!"

"And your handkerchief? What about your hanky?"

"Mooooommm, I didn't forget anything. I'll be fine!"

Inko and Izuku stood in front of a rather large building that was fenced off from the outside world. The frantic mother looked over her son, searching for anything that could be missing from what might be one of the most important days of his young life.

"Just remember, Izuku. Mommy's so proud of you right now!" Inko couldn't' hold it in anymore as she hugged her son and let out a waterfall of tears flow out of her eyes.

"M-mom!" The boy blushed when he heard the snickers of other kids around him, some the same age as him while others were older.

"OHH! My baby grows up so faaaaaast!"

Managing to get out of the bone-crushing hug, the boy made his way into the building and passed the metal gate that served as the entrance to the place. Turning around and looking one last time, he spotted his mother still waving at him. "Have a great first day of school, sweetie!" The mother managed to yell while tearing up again.

Flashing her a smile only he can, Izuku waved back at her "I will!"

And so, clad with his trusty yellow backpack and his new uniform of white shirt and blue shorts, the boy entered the building he will spend the next couple of years in.

* * *

Not even ten minutes in, and Izuku already decided that he hated school.

It was nothing like kindergarten.

In kindergarten, there was only a handful of kids and adults; there was plenty of fun stuff to do; Their blue smocks were comfy to wear and allowed for complete freedom of movement; and there was always the looming hope that he would be picked up early, letting him spend more time with Chima.

Here, however, none of that could ever happen.

The place was absolutely stuffed! Just being here and watching the number of people present was enough to make his head spin! The halls of the place may have been colorful, but that's it. Not a piece of a puzzle or a part of a toy was in sight. And the uniform! That shirt was so stuffy! He felt like someone was tying him up when he wore that thing!

But worst of all was the timetable. He had to spend a set number of hours here EVERY day, for SIX days of the week! Not to mention that he would need to spend more time on something called 'homework' after school if what those upperclassmen said was true. That meant less time to play with Chima, and that was UNACCEPTABLE!

Right now, the boy found himself sitting among the other first graders on the floor of the school's in-door basketball court. The wooden floor appeared to be quite clean, though it was obviously worn down from years of use. The white lines that divided the court into sections were far from pristine, with chunks of the paint missing in a few places. The baskets themselves were in no better shape, lacking their nets and their paint peeling off.

Looking behind him Izuku saw the rest of the student body, sitting on the floor and neatly arranged in rows that divided them by class and grade. Behind even them stood the faculty. About thirty to forty men and women, most of which middle-aged but others were younger or older. In the front, on a raised platform, stood who the boy assumed to be the principle: a relatively young man with bright orange hair and purple suit. He seemed rather nice, not bothered at all by the shape his basketball court was in.

"And now, to close things off, I'd like to introduce to you all to the new members of our family. Please welcome our first graders!" The principal presented them with a warm smile.

The sound of half-assed clapping was heard through the court. "I hope you all have a great time here at our school. Please remember to be diligent in your studies, as well as kind to each other! We all expect great things from you!"

"Tch-! " While it was barely noticeable, Izuku managed to hear the silent scoff that came from Bakugou's mouth. The boy signed silently to himself _'Kacchan hadn't changed one bit…'_

"With that, I like to proclaim this entrance ceremony a wild success!" The principal joked, not earning a lot of chuckles in return. "In any case…" The principle coughed into his hand. "First graders, please remain here, your homeroom teachers will come and pick you up. Everyone else, please exit in an orderly fashion. Sixth graders will go first and we'll work our way down from there."

As soon as he said that, a man and three women made their way and stood in front of the group of first graders. One of the women stepped forward, she had short black hair with bangs that reached her brown eyes and a rather slim build. Although she did have rather large… Assets…

The most distinct feature about her, however, was the one thing that was on all the kids' minds.

**_'What's with that shirt?!'_ **

The woman wore the most bizarre shirt any of them had ever seen. A green shirt with a picture of a chicken leg with the message ' 8/10th portion' written on it with blue lettering. "Good morning, students!" Oblivious to what was going through her students' minds, the woman wasted no time and introduced herself with a wide smile on her face. "I'm Aguri Yukimura and I'm the homeroom teacher of class 1-1! Nice to meet you all!"

Bowing in politeness, a small smile reached her face when she watched Izuku do the same instinctively while still sitting from the corner of her eye _'Guuuush, he's so adorable!'_ "I will now read out the names of the student in my class! Anyone who hears their name, please stand behind me and I'll take you to our classroom!"

"Murasa Shisu!"

A girl with a burgundy ponytail that Izuku had less than pleasant memories of stood up and walked behind Yukimura.

"Sato Yubi!"

Now here's a more familiar name. Bakugou's lackey with stretching fingers stood up and walked behind his new teacher.

And so, it went for a couple of minutes. Yukimura continued calling out names, and each time a student walked behind her and joined the ever-enlarging group. Some of the kids, Izuku knew from kindergarten. Others he didn't. The school was much bigger than kindergarten, after all.

"Bakugou Katsuki!"

A small scoff could be heard as the ash-blonde himself stood up and arrogantly made his way behind the young teacher.

"Midoriya Izuku!"

The greenette jumped in place once he heard his name being called, causing a few of the other kids to snicker and Bakugou to cast him a murderous glare.

It would appear they would be classmates.

What were the odds?

* * *

"…And here's our classroom!" Yukimura proclaimed in enthusiasm as she opened the door and showed the room to her students like she was a host on a game show.

The new class of 1-1 had spent the last forty-five minutes getting to know every nook and cranny in Aldera elementary school. Be it the library; the school gyms and courts; or the cafeteria; no stone was left unturned by their bubbly homeroom teacher.

All in all, their new classroom was rather nice. The walls, while blank now, held plenty of space for customization. Something Yukimura had already planned on doing. Along the walls of the classroom stood a rather large bookshelf, holding a rather wide assortment of reading material if what Izuku was seeing was true. There were a total of 5 square tables set up throughout the room, each one having four chairs on its' sides for the students. In the front, a blackboard that held the writing 'Welcome! Class 1-1!" in colorful chalk faced their young eyes, even if only a few of them could understand it.

"Why don't we all take our seats and get to know one another?" Yukimura was the first to enter, soon followed by the rest of the kids. Standing tall in front of the blackboard, she watched over the kids with a smile as they all chose a place to sit in.

Naturally, once Bakugou chose his seat, accompanied by his usual lackey in the back of the classroom, Izuku chose where to sit as well.

In the front.

As far away from the blonde as possible.

"Alright, class!" Clapping her hands together to get their attention, Yukimura decided to start today's activities "Since we are all seated now, why don't we get to know each other? We'll take turns and everyone will tell us about themselves."

The young woman placed a hand on her chest, "Why don't I start? My name is Aguri Yukimura. I like to eat Takoyaki with my boyfriend(In the kids' mind: _**'Ewwwww...!'**_ ), and my quirk is…" The teacher cupped both her hands in each other and the class watched in awe as strands of her hair began to lengthen and float in the air like tentacles. "I can lengthen my hair strands and control their movements."

To demonstrate, the teacher let her hair wrap around a textbook she had on the teacher's desk and tossed it in the air, catching it with her hand as it fell.

"Woah… So cool!" Izuku murmured with stars in his eyes. His classmates with similar expressions of wonder at the sight of the quirk.

"Hehe…" Giggling at her students' expression, Yukimura let her hair return to its' short length. "Now that I'm done, who wants to go next?"

As soon as she said that, almost all the kids in the class raised their hands as high as they could. Some even yelling "Me! Pick me!"

"My, my…" The teacher sweat dropped in the face of all the enthusiasm, " Let's all relax, shall we? Everyone is going to get their turn."

The teacher opened up her notebook and looked at a paper none of the kids could see, "Let's see… How about we start with you Murasa-chan!"

The introductory session began. Each student that was called stood up to the front and presented themselves. Some were shy, others confident or funny and one… was Bakugou…

Nevertheless, it proved to be a great time for all of them. Especially for a quirk enthusiast like Izuku.

"And, now… We have Midoriya-kun. Can you come here please?" Nodding faintly, the boy stood up and walked to stand at the front of the class, a mere ten steps to his right.

"H-hello…" He waved at his new classmates "M-my name's Izuk-ku Midoriya. I like heroes and my quirk is…" Tapping the front of his shoe on the ground once, the teacher, and some of the kids were startled when one of the stone tiles was blasted vertically into the air. Catching it in midair, the boy flashed a nervous smile "M-my quirk is Earthbending. I c-can control earth and stone by moving around."

"My… that's quite a quirk Midoriya-kun. Although…", Yukimura sweat-dropped as she gazed at the hole in the floor, "In the future, try not to damage school property."

Izuku eyes went wide in alarm when he heard that ' _Not again!'_ "S-sorry…" Placing the tile on the hole he made, the boy moved his hand over it, and just like that, the floor was back to normal.

 _'That's quite handy…'_ The teacher hummed to herself _'At least I don't have to call the landlord…'_

Bowing in apology one last time, Izuku sat down at his desk and watched as the student next to him got called out.

"Alright. Next, we have… You Kyo-!"

"It's Jiro." The student interrupted Yukimura. They blushed as the attention was directed at them "M-my dad must've written my first name b-before my last name; he does that sometimes.". Standing up and walking to the front of the class, the student bowed in greeting. They wore the standard boy's uniform: a white shirt and blue shorts.

They were quite petite, barely fitting into the larger uniform they wore. Dark purple hair with an asymmetrical fringe almost covered equally dark purple eyes. They shuffled their feet nervously like they didn't want to stand there as they played with the most prominent feature they had with their fingers.

Flexible, plug-like cords that dangled from their earlobes, ending with two earphone jacks.

"M-my name is Jiro K-Kyoka." They told the rest of the class. "I-I like rock-k music and my q-quirk is 'Earphone jack-k!'" To emphasize they lifted the jacks in the air to show the class, "I have a p-pair of Earphone jacks hanging from my earlobes. I c-can use them to ch-channel my heartbeat into a vibration attack-k or to amplify my hearing."

Having said their piece, Jiro turned to leave and sat next to Izuku again, sighing in relief that it was over. It appears they weren't much of a social butterfly.

Something that Izuku couldn't help but think they had in common.

* * *

It was the end of the day and Izuku found himself at the halls of his new school, trying to find the exit.

Unfortunately, the tour was more focused on the different landmarks of the school rather than how to get from point A to point B. So, as one would expect, the boy found himself wandering in the halls, trying in vain to find the way out.

"Hey, do you know how to get out of here?" A voice called out and Izuku turned his head, finding himself staring at a familiar face.

It was the boy that sat next to him in class, Jiro, if he remembered correctly. Now that he got a chance to stand next to him, Izuku realized that Jiro was even shorter than him.

"Oh!" Izuku exclaimed, "No, I'm lost too."

The boy slumped his head in disappointment. "Figures," He grumbled "It wouldn't hurt them to put up signs, though. We have only been here one day."

Izuku could only nod in agreement, "I'm with you on that… I guess we could just go and ask an upper-classman…"

"Look around, fuzzy-head." The purple head gestured to the hallway.

_'Fuzzy-head?!'_

"We are the only ones here, everyone else already left."

One look around confirmed it and Izuku slumped his head as well before he suddenly perked up, a figurative light-bulb above his head, "I got it! I can use my quirk to find a way out!"

The greenette sat down and began to take off his shoes, much to the confusion of the purple-headed boy that was there with him, "What do you mean 'you can use your quirk'? AND WHY ARE YOU TAKING OFF YOUR SHOES?!"

Izuku explained himself as he stashed his shoes into his backpack, "A part of my quirk lets me sense the vibrations in the ground and use them to navigate, kind of like bats. I couldn't use it before because the school was so full of students and I would get overwhelmed if I tried. But since it's just the two of us I can manage!"

The purple-head's eyes shot wide, "Oh! That's pretty smart! But why take off your shoes?"

Izuku gained a sheepish smile, "I need to be in direct contact with the ground for it to work. Wearing shoes just makes everything feel all muffled, its' like trying to listen to music while wearing sound-canceling earplugs."

"Nice analogy…" Jiro complimented before raising his earphone jacks, "I can help too. I have amplified hearing. Between the two of us, I think we can find the exit without a problem."

"That's so cool!" Izuku gushed at the quirk and its' owner had to take a step back in surprise. "You said earlier that you can also attack with your quirk, right?! Your quirk is so versatile!"

Jiro's face blushed crimson, "Its' not that impressive," he muttered, "Besides, you can do all that stuff with your quirk too…"

"I guess you're right…" Izuku replied, his face gaining a slight shade of red himself before a sheepish expression takes over, "Our quirks are more similar than I thought…"

Jiro raised a brow before chuckling, "You're right. I guess they are…"

The two made their way through the halls of the school, concentrating on their quirks. In no time at all, the two found the exit and were now ready to say their goodbye and head off home in different directions.

"Thanks for helping me find the way out" Izuku bowed.

"No, no!" Jiro's flabbergasted face flushed as he nervously played with his jacks, "You helped me as much as I helped you, its' on the both of us."

"If you say so…" Izuku scratched his nape before extending a hand to Jiro, "Then I guess it's' goodbye for the day, Jiro- _Bō_!"**

.

.

.

.

Silence permeated through the air around them as Jiro seemed frozen in his spot. His eyes were covered by his fringe and his mouth formed an expressionless line across his face.

"Jiro- _Bō_?"

***Fwooooooooooosh…"**

Jiro's earphone jacks floated ominously in the air and slithered like a pair of snakes towards Izuku. The boy felt a sense of dread fill his heart as he watched the two metallic points of the jacks getting closer to his head.

 _"J-Jiro-_ _Bō_ _…? **'**_

Faster then he could register, the jacks flew upwards and into both of his ears.

***BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!***

**"!"**

Two shockwaves vibrated through Izuku simultaneously. His hair stood up straight as the vibrations coursed violently through his body, Torturing his ear-drums, rattling the lungs in his ribcage, and attacking his diaphragm. "GGGGAAAAHHHHHHHAAAHHHHAAHHHHH!"

After five seconds of agonizing pain, the shockwaves stopped, and the jacks left Izuku's ears.

The boy then collapsed on the ground, swirly patterns dancing in his eyes.

"I'M! A! GGGIIIIRRRRLLL!"

And with that, she stomped off, leaving an unconscious Izuku on the ground.

* * *

**Jiro Kyoka**

**Quirk:** **Earphone jack**

 **Description:** **Kyoka has a pair of headphone jacks hanging from her earlobes. When the plugs are connected to something, she can channel her heartbeat into the jacks, creating a vibration attack. In addition, she has enhanced hearing allowing her to pick up in minuscule sounds in vibrations from her vicinity.**

**It is important to notice that she perceives those vibrations through her hearing in contrast to Chima and Izuku who perceive it through Earthbending.**

**Appearance: Kyoka is a short girl of a petite build. Her dark purple hair is on the shorter sides, reaching her chin in only a few places like the back of her jawbone. She often hides her purple eyes behind her fringe, not liking to make eye contact.**

**Affiliation: Aldera Elementary school student.**

**Age: 6.**

**Birthday: 8/1.**

**Height: 91.2 cm.**

**Favorite food: Dango.**

**Favorite thing: Rock music.**

**Tidbit:**

**Despite her age, Jiro is a talented musician, capable of playing on multiple instruments. The guitar is her favorite though.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The way sweating works is that the body is cooling off by letting the water evaporate off our skin. But when the humidity is high, the rate of evaporation is slowing down. In other words, the higher the humidity, the more useless our sweat becomes at cooling us off.
> 
> ** Bō is an honorific reserved solely for male babies and children. In case it wasn't clear enough, Izuku thought Jiro was a boy. Though I'm not really sure if it's used like the way I used it in the story. It did fit the general situation enough so that's why I used it.


	10. Book 1 chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Disturbing imagery such as child violence, torture, and animal cruelty are present in this chapter.
> 
> For those who can't stomach such things: Reader discretion is advised.
> 
> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.

* * *

**Previously on Avatar: Era of Izuku:**

* * *

_From their lookout, Izuku could see giant pillars of stone and rock rising from the cave's unseen floor in the dozens, some reaching all the way up to the ceiling while others stopped midway, creating earthen platforms of various heights so large one could build houses on them._

_Archways made of stone connected these platforms to one another, creating a web of connecting pathways that sometimes branched off into a tunnel that led outside of the cavern. Green moss and crystals covered just about every square meter of the space. Engulfing the walls, pillars, and ceiling as well as illuminating the entire subterranean area in majestic emerald color._

_Sparkling waterfalls emerged from holes near the cave's ceiling, pushing streams of water through the crevices of a forest of stalagmites that adorned the cavern's floor far below them, appearing as jagged and menacing teeth. The water flowed down through those crevices, pooling at a majestic underground lake, it's waters shimmering in emerald light and it's rocky beaches the only place on the cave's floor that lacked the stalagmites' presence._

_It was absolutely breathtaking._

* * *

_Multiple species Izuku had never seen before were scattered around the cavern, each more captivating and unique than the last._

_A small group of large, mammal-like creatures with star-shaped noses and no eyes was currently drinking water from the lake. Beside them were what could only be described as mustached alligators who were swimming peacefully in the water._

_Wolf-like creatures with a somewhat scary face and wings dotted the cave's upper levels, keeping a clear distance from any Badgermole at the cave's floor. Turning his head, Izuku smiled as he watched what looked like small prairie dogs popping out of little holes in the cave's floor. They were being chased by Badgermole cubs as part of a game, singing a little note every time one of them popped out of the ground._

_Fireflies illuminated the air around Izuku, their light reflected in his eyes in the form of sparkles. On the ground, little white grasshoppers with four legs were bouncing about aimlessly, sometimes getting the attention of what looked like a cross between a frog and a badger. Little rabbits with impossibly long ears doted from place to place, entering and exiting burrows in the blink of an eye._

* * *

_The cloying scent now enveloped everything around him as the figure laid something down in front of him "C'mon little guy…" The figure spoke again, the slightest bit of eagerness tracing his voice "Come here and eat…"_

_The cub got closer and closer, not noticing the figure stepping away from him as he neared his prize. He sniffed at it excitedly, the scent was mesmerizing for his senses, his grogginess reached unfathomably new heights as every fiber of his being danced with sluggish joy._

_Then that scent was gone, replaced by the stench of ash and fire._

* * *

_**"PUT A MUZZLE ON THESE THINGS!"** _

_Finally, after an eternity of hearing nothing but carnage, he heard two massive crashes; followed by whimpers._

_That was the last thing Chima heard before his grip on the scene was finally broken._

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER NINE:

**ORIGINAL EARTHBENDERS, PART 1:**

**THE MAN THAT REEKED OF ASH**

* * *

Silence.

Silence dominated the crystal cavern. The Wolf-bats and Shirsu hid within the stalactites and stalagmites dotting the cave's landscape; The Catgators were hiding in the waters of the lake, only picking their heads outside for a better look; The Singing groundhogs and Lop-eared rabbits buried themselves in their burrows and even the flying insects conglomerated in large groups as close to the cave's ceiling as possible.

The cause of the tension in the air was located at the rocky beach of the underground lake, specifically the Badgermoles' training grounds. It was common knowledge to any none-Badgermole in the cave that that area was off-limits, least you want to be hit by a stray boulder or buried in a rockalanche. This was why when things got heated in that place the other animals usually retreated to the other side of the cave, not daring to risk their well being.

Today, however, everyone decided that the risk was worth it.

In the training ground, a group of adult Badgermoles was forming a circle with their bodies the size of a football field. Inside that circle, two Badgermoles and one human child were currently walking around each other in circles.

The boy's name was Izuku Midoriya.

The eight-year-old walked around barefooted, keeping as low to the ground as he could, legs spread wider than his shoulders and knees bent low while angling his arms like the sickles of a praying mantis. By his side, Chima held the same demeanor as his partner, both not uttering a word and glaring at their opponent in order to not miss a thing.

An adult Badgermole stood in front of them. The hulking beast was more than twice the size of Chima and had many scars on his paws, signifying his experience.

Like the two before him, he too kept his focus on them. Waiting for an opportunity, a moment when one of them would slip up.

.

.

.

***BAM! ***

Suddenly, the adult Badgermole slammed his paws into the ground and launched a multitude of boulders hurtling into the air.

Izuku and Chima now faced a shower of rocks.

"AAAAAARRRRGGGHH!"

Moving together in sync, Izuku and Chima slammed their frontal limbs into the ground, raising a wall of earth between them and the assault. The barrier stayed in its place, easily withstanding the multiple rocks that shattered onto it.

***CRASH! - CRASH! - CRASH!***

When the hail stopped and the two knew the coast was clear, they made the next move.

Chima raked his claws against the wall, pieces of earth shattered and sailed into the air, stopping into levitation as they were held there by the boy.

Izuku held his arms wide with his feet planted into the ground, an unmoving wall just like the creatures who taught him. With swift and precise gestures from his arms and legs, he launched the projectile right at his opponent, always keeping at least one foot rooted to the ground. No movement or gesture was wasted for the earth itself did not make de-tours whenever it was on the move, his elbows were always angled and his knees always bent with discipline few kids or even adults possessed.

The projectile held true to their task, nailing the adult beast in the jaw and causing his head to recoil from the impact. However, not much else was gained from the first assault, for the adult Badgermole swiftly shrugged off the attack focusing back on the duo he faced and let a low snarl escape his mouth, as if unamused.

Izuku parted from Chima and ran to the side, both knowing fall well of the AOE potential of their opponent's powers. He stopped himself on the other side of the arena, forming an equilateral triangle on the battlefield with himself, Chima, and the elder beast as the vertexes.

Chima gritted his teeth together, clawing at the ground with enough force to dent it and sending forward multiple columns of earth at his opponent. They made an impact, and the youngling snarled in annoyance as his elder shrugged the attack off like it was nothing.

Deciding to get a little serious, Izuku and Chima's opponent charged at the boy.

Joining his forearms together, Izuku raised a block of earth between himself and the charger. Placing his hands on the barrier and sticking his feet in the ground, the boy braced himself for impact.

***Bam! ***

The adult Badgermole charged headfirst into the large boulder, pushing it back with incredible force. Izuku grunted as he tried to withstand the attack. He and the barrier were being pushed back, living indents in the ground as they went.

***Boom! ***

With one final push, the adult Badgermole broke through the shield that separated him from the boy, tackling the greenette with his snout and pushing him back.

"Ooooofff! " Izuku's body rolled a bit on the ground before finally coming to a stop, hurting his shoulder. "Uhhhgg…" Laying on the ground, he found himself quite a distance away from where he was launched, his attacker shifting his attention to Chima now instead.

 ***CRRR** **UUU** **MBLLEE! ***

The older Badgermole went on the attack, swiping at the ground and sending a stream of jagged rocks and protrusions of earth at Chima.

Getting up and clutching his hurting shoulder, the boy got to witness his partner clobber at the stream of rocks with his claws and break through the attack like it was made of glass.

"Yeah! Chima!"

The moment of triumph was short-lived. The older Badgermole charged at the younger one and backhanded him to the side. Sent flying, Chima's body dragged across the ground for a couple dozen meters before coming to a stop.

"Chima!"

Clenching his fists in anger, Izuku stomped the ground and sent one boulder after the next at his opponent. He punched and kicked with full force at any rock he summoned from the ground, losing the discipline he displayed at the match's beginning.

The older Badgermole remained unfazed and simply withstood the assault. Shifting the ground from underneath the boy's feet, Izuku was launched forward in the air directly at his opponent, yelling in surprise. Coiling his tail around the boy's waist, the older Badgermole spun him in the air a couple of times before sending him at Chima.

Izuku crashed into Chima's side, sending them both tumbling back and knocking the air out of their lungs. "Ughhh…" Wheezing and trying the catch their breath, both Izuku and Chima managed to get up through struggle and dizziness.

***Smack! ***

"Ow! What was that for?!" Izuku rubbed his head where Chima slapped him with his tail. The offender merely scoffed at him in disapproval.

A shameful look crossed the greenette's face, "You're right… Sorry…". It was a trivial matter for the boy. He saw the way Chima's brow frowned, the twitching of his ears, and the way his legs shifted underneath him. To the boy, it was like a unique language, one which only he could understand. The message was clear: 'You lost your focus and slipped up!'

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Izuku cast a glance at his and Chima's opponent. He had them beat in almost everything: Size; Power; Skill and experience; The only advantage they had was numbers and teamwork. If they couldn't capitalize on that, they wouldn't stand a chance.

One look at Chima was enough for the boy to see that he thought the same, and with a curt nod from each of them, they charged as one.

 ***C** **RRRRRRR** **U** **M** **B** **LLL** **E! ***

Slamming his paws into the ground, the adult Badgermole channeled its' strength and triggered a small earthquake around itself. Lifting his paws slowly, Izuku watched while still running as a massive boulder was ripped from the ground and hurtled at him with enough force to crush a car.

Stretching his right arm to his side, Izuku stiffened his muscles and concentrated on the fragments and pieces of broken earth around him, willing them to come towards himself. In less than a few seconds, earth and stone had formed an armor around the boy's hand and forearm, cocked back in preparation to strike.

"Earth Gauntlet!"

With a mighty battle cry, Izuku smashed his fist into the boulder with unbelievable speed and watched with no small amount of pride as the mass of earth caved in and eventually shattered from the sheer strength behind the attack.

**Special move: "Earth Gauntlet!"**

**By using Earthbending on the stones encasing his arm, Izuku accelerates his punches to inhuman levels. The addition speed, as well as the extra mass and hardness, results in a strike strong enough to smash through solid stone!**

The boy's opponent had no time to prepare another strike before Chima was already on top of him and directed a vicious swipe at his snout, causing him to recoil.

Having reached the older Badgermole himself, Izuku followed up on Chima's attack and aimed an 'Earth Gauntlet' at the enemy's chin, staggering him even more.

It soon became a dance between the three. Each time either Izuku or Chima sent an attack, the other soon followed with an attack of their own. Izuku, both arms now incased with armor, sent one 'Earth Gauntlet' after the other while Chima repeatedly swiped at his senior or body-slammed him.

"Let's go, Chima!" cocking his right arm back, Izuku signaled his friend to commence their final attack. Launching the boy high into the air with a well-timed earth catapult their opponent was left wide open for Izuku to deliver one final strike.

Now diving straight at the older Badgermole, Izuku let the acceleration of gravity amplify the speed of his attack even further before slamming his fist straight to the Badgermole's back, knocking him to the ground.

***SMMMMAAAAASSSHHHH! ***

After the dust from the crash settled, Izuku was revealed, panting heavily while standing on the defeated Badgermole's back. "We… ***pant*** did it…"

And fell unceremoniously to the ground below.

As far as sparring sessions go, it was probably the hardest one the boy ever had the privilege of participating in. Leaning on Chima and getting up, Izuku cast a glance at their opponent only to see him stand up. "I'm glad you're okay!". Not that Izuku or Chima could hurt him, really. They both knew he went easy on them.

The older Badgermole nodded nonetheless, joining the rest of his kind that had already broken the circle around them. With the tension now gone and the cave's return to normalcy, both Izuku and Chima were left to their own devices.

While taking a few more minutes to catch their breath, Izuku dusted off his red shirt and green shorts before the both of them made their way to one of the streams that dotted the cavern to take a drink, greeting some of the more familiar faces they met during the boy's two years of knowing the place.

While it took time, more and more animals eventually accepted the boy's presence. Though the Wolf-bats generally avoided him due to his proximity to the Badgermoles, almost every other species took to the boy quite well.

And Izuku was quite happy about it, he got lots of new friends because of that. He was still a kid after all. So, between the numerous hours of training that involved sparring, coming up with forms that worked with his quirk, Earthbending choreography, or just wandering about in the caves; The boy found his time to play with all of them.

Catgators- skiing, Singing groundhogs musicals, playing Earthball with the other Badgermole cubs (Chima was the undefeated champion), or simply snuggling with some Lop-eared rabbits was always considered a good time for the boy.

"I think we still got time…" Izuku mused after a long good chug of water, "What you wanna do now?"

One look at Chima was all Izuku needed to know what was on his mind. And if he was honest, he needed it too. "Bath it is!"

* * *

It was currently midafternoon in Musutafu, Japan. As expected of a Sunday, the streets of the city were more bustling than usual, filled with eager shoppers, playing children, and the occasional office worker complaining about having to work on the weekend.

Amongst these people, an unsavory duo of individuals was walking on the sidewalks with a somewhat hostile air around them. Whether it was towards the world around them or to each other remained unanswered.

"Ohhh maaaaannnn… I'm soooo tired…"

The shorter of the two groaned out. He was a slightly chubby man with a not so impressive height. In addition to the clear need for a salad in his life, the man sported a mop of light gray hair on his head that was so dirty and thin, he would've probably looked better with a pile of haystack on his head.

"SHUT UP YA FATASS! CAN'T YA GO FIVE FUCKING MINUTES WITHOUT COMPLAINING?!"

The man walking beside the chubby one snapped at him in irritation. He was a tall man with a muscular physic. His sharp and scary eyes were hidden behind messy bangs of spiky, dark gray hair, the same color as gunpowder. In addition to that, each of his wrists was covered in a thick bracelet, its' metallic surface giving off an ominous sheen.

To complete his look, the vulgar man opted for a getup that consisted of a brown leather jacket and simple blue jeans. The jacket appeared weird. Its sleeves were unnecessarily thick and the leather itself hardly looked comfortable, appearing as though it was meant to ward off claw strikes and bites from wild animals. On the jacket itself, a green symbol was sawn into the leather right above where the heart should be: '獸'. *****

His partner, on the other hand, had a different attire. He wore a simple and loose dark-blue shirt and pants, oddly resembling sleeping wear instead of everyday-casual. The same brown later jacket with the sawn in symbol was tied around his waist using the jacket's sleeves, clearly agitating the man as the hard leather kept colliding with his butt with every step he took.

"Why are we even here…?" Ignoring the fitter man, the pajama guy continued his complaining instead. "I thought we were supposed to keep a low profile. Going around the city like we own the place seems a bit counterproductive."

"We are only here to scout, jackass, we won't do anything unless something **really** interesting pops up," Spikey-head grumbled. "We never get to have fun... * **Sigh*** Whatever, Let's just get this over with and go back…"

The duo continued to march on in silence, walking seemingly aimlessly through the city streets and back alleys. For any trained eye, however, what they did was obvious. Their eyes never stayed on one thing for too long, darting around at a fast pace and taking everything they could in, looking for items of interest.

Their stillness, however, was soon broken by the scream of a woman.

"Help! Villain!"

 _'SHHIITTT! They recognized us?!'_ The two turned around and looked like they saw a ghost, only to breathe a sigh of relief as they saw a young man with spikes coming off his body running away from the lady with a purse dangling behind him.

"Phew… For a moment I thought they caught us…" Pajama guy sighed in relief and turned toward his taller coworker, only to immediately facepalm at his expression. _' I should've known that would tick him off…'_

A predatory grin was stretched on the man's face as his eyes never left the burglar's figure. "My, my… What do we have here…?"

_'Please don't…'_

The prayers of Pajama guy went unanswered as spiky-hair bolted ahead at the burglar's direction. Scaring the life out of him and causing tears to well up in his eyes. _'Nonononono….! A hero?!'_

Taking a sharp left at an intersection, the burglar caught sight of a small store in front of him. The store's goods were presented with pride in various boxes and tables near its' entrance, an assortment of vegetables and fruits, all neatly stacked in piles and rows.

Gripping tightly on a shelf that held a bunch of cabbages as its' content, the burglar slammed the large table to the ground as he passed it, creating a barrier.

His pursuer only scoffed, unimpressed, and simply jumped over the obstacle, catching from the corner of his eye the owner of the shop who looked on in horror as his vegetables rolled on the sidewalk.

"MY CABBAGES!"

The two continued their game of cat and mouse. But no matter how hard he tried, the burglar couldn't shake off his tail and spiky-hair only seemed to close on him in every passing second.

Taking a sharp left into an alley, the burglar's heart sank as he gazed at the wall in front of him

"A dead end? Really?" Freezing in his place, the burglar slowly turned around only to see the guy who has been trying to catch him blocking his way out. "How cliché… Welp, whatever. Works for me I guess…"

"P-p-p-please have mercy! I don't wanna go to jail!" The burglar groveled on the ground, clearly afraid for his freedom. However, when no response came from what he assumed to be a hero he dared look up at his pursuer's face.

"Pffft-HAHAHAHAHAHA! You thought…! You thought I was a fucking hero!" spiky-hair burst out laughing at the burglar's apparent stupidity.

_'He's not a hero?! Is he a vigilante than?'_

***Bang! ***

"I'm no hero kid." The burglar's eyes widened when he felt a little stab at his calf. Looking down, he saw a dart lodged into his leg.

"I chased you because I saw that pretty purse you were carrying and thought, 'Hey, I want a piece of that too!'"

 _'So he's just trying to steal my score…?'_ The burglar's fear morphed into anger as his expressions soured and he sneered at the taller man. "Go find you're own purse to steal then, jackass!" He tried to get up but found he had no strength to do so.

"Tsk-Tsk-Tsk! Don't bother trying to get up." The spiky-haired man informed as he picked up the purse and rummaged through its' contents. "I already paralyzed you with my quirk."

 **Tekubi Jū** **, quirk: Dart gun**

**Jū can shoot hollow keratin darts from his gun-like organs on his wrists. He is also capable of filling those darts with a special sedative that causes paralysis.**

"Damn, you didn't take her phone." Casting him one final look, Jū did something unexpected. "Next time you decide to steal someone's purse, make sure you take their cellphones. Otherwise, they'll just immediately call their bank and cancel their credit cards. That means that what we have here…"

Taking a couple of credit cards out of the purse, Jū waved them in front of the paralyzed thief, taunting him. "…Is no more than useless plastic."

Stuffing a few bills of yen into his pocket, as well as other items of value, Jū turned around and threw the empty purse and credit cards at the thief's head before walking out of the alleyway. "Fucking amateur."

Making his way back to where he left his deadweight of a partner, Jū was slightly pleased seeing him running towards him.

But only because it saved time.

"Do- ***pant*** \- do you have to- ***pant*** \- to do this every- ***pant*** \- time you see a- ***pant*** \- robbery?!" The chubby man managed to utter between gasps, leaning on his knees for support.

"Humph! The boss said we couldn't draw attention to us by committing crimes. He didn't say anything about taking away from other criminals, no honor among thieves and all that shit."

Not waiting for any longer for his partner to catch his breath, Jū has already taken off. "Let's go fatass. The faster we finish checking this place out, the sooner you can get back to bed."

Perking up like he had caffeine injected directly into his bloodstream, the chubby man followed after Jū. "Where do we still need to look?"

Jū smirked. "We are almost done. All that's left is that park up ahead."

* * *

**Tekubi Jū**

**Quirk:** **Dart gun**

 **Description:** **Jū can shoot hollow keratin darts from his gun-like organs on his wrists. He is also capable of filling those darts with a special sedative that causes paralysis. The more sedative put into the dart, the longer it needs to be charged and the more taxing it is.**

**Appearance: Tekubi is a wide-set man with a muscular build and sharp features. Both of his eyes and hair are the color of gunpowder with the latter hiding the former most of the time. In terms of hairstyle, the man sports an unruly mess of spikes on his head, letting it drape over his shoulders as well as his back.**

**Affiliation: ?.**

**Age: 27.**

**Birthday: 21/4.**

**Height: 185 cm.**

**Favorite food: Curry.**

**Favorite thing: Skit shooting (He learned about it in America).**

**Tidbit:**

**He is the pro-hero Gunhead's cousin. Unsurprisingly, he's the family's black sheep.**

* * *

Izuku emerged from the cave to the calming sight of the afternoon sun shining brightly on the park's ground, riding on Chima's back, "We're back!"

Stretching a bit from sitting so long on the Badgermole, the boy jumped down onto the ground and scanned their surroundings. As expected, for a certain radius around the cave, they couldn't find any human present.

It was part of the reason they chose this place as Chima's hideout in the city. That way, he could expose himself almost all the time and play with Izuku outside back before they found the tunnels.

"Seeya tomorrow, Chima!" Patting his friend on the head one last time and saying goodbye, the boy turned around and went to pick up his shoes from within one of the bushes.

***Bbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."***

Izuku's ears perked when the sound of crackling made their way through. Darting his head around, the boy couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Confusion filled his mind, this was the first time he heard anything like it in the park. To add to that, he didn't see anything that could be responsible.

Even his seismic sense was telling him everything was fine. Aside from a few rodents in the woods around them, he and Chima were the only living things in the vicinity. He turned around to Chima and saw that his friend was just as confused, his fur stood out on hand, puffed out in apprehension much like a cat.

***ZAP! ***

"RRRROOOOAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The Badgermoloe's pain-filled roar echoed in the woods, shaking the boy's diaphragm as the roar's vibrations coursed through him. "Chima!" Izuku screamed as Chima spasmed uncontrollably. He ran forward, trying to reach his friend. He didn't even manage to make it halfway before the Badgermole collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Izuku crouched before his snout and tried to shake Chima awake, tears threatening to spill, "Chima! Chima! Do you hear me?! Please, get up!" The boy's plead, however, went unanswered. The young Badgermole didn't budge, his shallow breathing the only indicator he was alive.

"Don't bother." An unfamiliar voice made itself known to Izuku, coming from an unexpected direction, the sky.

The boy looked up.

Floating in the air, just above were Chima laid, was a chubby man who held what appeared to be a toy gun that was connected to Chima's body via a cable. The man gestured to the weapon, "See that? This weapon was designed to take down creatures more than twice its' size. That thing won't be getting up anytime soon."

 **Aruku** **Kūki** **, quirk: Air walk**

**Airwalk allows the user to levitate in the air. There is also a height limit of about twenty meters to the quirk and the user can't go any higher.**

"What did you do to Chima?!" Izuku yelled at the man as his body shook, rage still palpable in his voice.

"Chima? You gave that thing a name?" The man only gave the boy an uninterested look that quickly devolved into a yawn. "Doesn't matter. Though I didn't expect to run into anything worth-while in this city, much less **this**... Oh well, when life gives you lemonade, who am I to say no. I'll just be taking him with me, now."

"You aren't taking Chima ANYWHERE!" Taking a stance and clenching his fists, Izuku glared at the floating man.

He wasn't very intimidating. Izuku felt weak at his knees as they violently shook with the rest of his body. His mouth felt dry and beads of nervous sweat already formed on his forehead.

Even to the most dimwitted of observers could pick up on it. Izuku was scared shitless.

Signing in exasperation, the man pressed a button on the device, and the cable that was connected to Chima detached from the Badgermole and coiled itself back into the gun. "I'm afraid you are in no position to demand such a thing. Why couldn't you just give him to me with no fuss? ***sigh*** What a bother..."

Quicker than a man his size was supposed to be capable of, the floating man directed the gun at the boy and shot. A metal two-toothed fork shot forward at breakneck speeds at the boy, connected to the gun via a cable.

Thinking fast, Izuku planted a firm foot into the ground and raised a small wall of earth with an upward motion from his left arm.

The projectile attached himself into the wall, not even causing a crack to appear on the dense earth. "Tch…!" Izuku's attacker was not pleased, "Figures you would have a defensive quirk…".

The boy heaved a sigh of relief once he was sure he was safe from the attack. His back was pressed against the wall he constructed, his body still shaking. The boy cast one look at Chima's unconscious body and frowned. He slapped both of his cheeks and shook his head, taking a deep breath and calming down.

The man pressed the same button on the gun, and the cable detached itself from the wall the boy made, starting to fold itself into the gun again.

Having calmed down, Izuku could now think more clearly, _'He only has one shoot before he needs to fold the cable back into the gun! That means…'_ Stomping the ground with his left foot, Izuku lifted the wall he created into the air and blasted it upwards with a push from his hands. "You're wide open!"

"Whoa!" Aruku was forced to dodge the attack by stratifying to the side at the last seconds. Breathing a sigh of relief after the boulder was behind him _'That was close…'_

 _'He's slow…'_ Ever the quirk analyzer, Izuku's plan of attack took shape with each new piece of the puzzle in place. _'So his quirk is being able to stay airborne… He doesn't appear like a close-range fighter, so he'll probably stay up there and only attack with the gun. That means he probably can't take a hit. That's all I need to do! '_

With a resounding *click! * the cable was fully retracted, and the gun was ready again to fire. "Finally! They really need to make the retraction mechanism faster!"

_'If I shoot the boy, he'll just make another wall and I'll waste my shot! I need to make him lower his guard…'_

Looking around for a solution to his problem, Aruku's eyes landed on the unconscious form of Chima. _'That'll do.'_

Firing the gun again, Izuku's attacker went against his expectations when instead of trying to hit him, the cable once again lodged itself to Chima. Pressing on another button, the boy watched in horror as the body of his best friend flailed and twitched uncontrollably on the ground.

"Chima!" With tears in his eyes, Izuku forgot about his opponent and ran directly to his friend.

As he neared the Badgermole, he failed to notice the smirk that appeared on Aruku's face, _'Got him.'_

"GAAAAAHHHHH!"

As soon as the boy made contact with Chima, his whole body convulsed and shook as the electricity from the taser went through him. His muscles twitched; his teeth clanked, and an unbearably hot sensation went through his body like a million fire ants biting each and every one of his nerves.

Luckily for him, that sensation only lasted a few seconds before it went away. Hurting and panting, Izuku collapsed to his knees and struggled not to puke.

"Huh." The chubby man hummed in an indifferent tone, "That was supposed to knock you out. Is the battery empty or something? Just my luck." The man put his hand inside one of his pockets, "Could've sworn I had a spare…"

"Aha! Found it!" Lifting the battery like a prize, Aruku wasted no time and started to replace the power source for the device, "Stupid little piece of technology…"

Back on the ground, Izuku was still reeling from the electric attack he received. Eyes shadowed by his hair and still panting heavily, he almost missed the clicking of the gun as the chubby guy finished repairing it.

"Well kid, I can't say this was fun - _I'd much prefer to be in bed right now_ \- Buuut I guess I can help YOU go to bed." Aiming his taser at the downed boy, Aruku fired.

 _'Not yet… Now!'_ Using reflexes that could only be developed by intercepting ground-to-ground rocks, Izuku caused his opponent's eyes to bulge as he closed his rock-covered hand on the cable.

"What th-!" Before he even had time to finish his sentence, Izuku yanked at the cable with a reverse Earth Gauntlet and Aruku was sent flying directly at the boy.

Forming an armor around his other arm, the boy let out his self-proclaimed signature move straight towards his attacker's stomach.

"Take this! Earth Gauntlet!"

***SMMMAAASSHHHH! ***

***CRASH! ***

The chubby man was sent flying backward and crashed into a tree trunk nearby, dropping his taser as his air left his lungs. Falling to the ground, the man held his stomach in pain before hurling his lunch on the ground.

Izuku could've lived without that sight.

Panting in exhaustion, the boy barely managed to stay on his shaking feet as he kept a cautious eye on the one who attacked them.

The man may have been disarmed and was currently puking his soul out, but he was still the man that knocked out Chima. He needed to make sure he wouldn't try anything else.

_'A simple earth trap should be enou-'_

***Bang! ***

*** Shlack- Shlack-** **Shlack! ***

"Gah!" A sharp pain shot through the boy's abdomen suddenly. Taking a scared look down at himself, Izuku saw three large darts stabbing into his side. Taking a shaky breath, Izuku's eyes widened in fear as he felt himself weakening at an alarming rate. The boy let out a choking sound as his legs gave up on him and he fell onto the ground. With twitching muscles that weren't in his control anymore, the boy could only look with his one eye that wasn't facing the ground at the one who shot him.

" *cough! * *cough! * Took you long enough…" The chubby man complained as out of the woods came Tekubi Jū, his wrists still raised, and his expression as sour as ever.

 _'There are more?!'_ The boy greeted his teeth in frustration. Fear was coming back and taking over, crawling up his spine and feeling his lungs with ice water.

"Remind me again who it was that insisted we split up?" Jū replied in a condescending tone before eyeing the paralyzed boy who currently stared at him like he was a demon. "Don't make that face at me squirt."

Crouching beside the boy's body, Jū delivered a swift strike to his neck and watched as he gasped out in pain and lost consciousness before turning to the other man. "Nice fight, by the way. You got your ass handed to you by a preschooler."

"Shut up! I didn't get my ass handed to me and this kid is not a preschooler!" Aruku spat back, attempting to recover any type of dignity.

"Excuse. Me!" Jū mocked, "Com'on! Does it matter if he is a preschooler or a…" Jū glanced at the boy's unconscious body. "Seven? Eight? Point is, you got your ass kicked by someone who isn't even allowed to cross the road yet."

"You're never gonna let me live this down, aren't you?"

"Nope!"

" *** Sign…*** So what are we gonna do with him? We only deal with animals, you know…" Aruku pointed at Chima with his thumb. "Should we kill him or something? He's a witness."

***Smack! ***

"Ow!"

"For once in your goddamned life, USE YOUR FUCKING HEAD, YOU DOLT!" Jū Smacked Aruku on the head, screaming over his stupidity. "What was that kid's quirk?!"

Aruku tilted his head in confusion, "He could control the earth with his movements, from what I saw."

Jū pressed on and pointed at Chima's unconscious body, " I'm pretty sure you know what that thing is! Remember their quirks?"

Aruku nodded. He remembered all right. Those things still give him nightmares and he almost lost his grip on Airwalk when he first saw that cub with the boy. "They can… control the earth with their movements."

"You're right so far, now…" Taking his round face between his hands, Jū directed his partner's head towards the cave in the hill. "See that?! You know what this is?!"

Aruku only nodded, "Yes. We built a base near one of them back in the Izu peninsula and sent about ten expeditions into it." He left it unsaid that only one man returned from those alive... For a day.

"And where did you see those two coming from?"

"From the cav-" Aruku's eyes shot eyed open, " I get it."

"Then you get what this boy is, right?" An excited smirk began to appear on both of their faces as Jū hauled the boy's unconscious body over his shoulder. "Just wait till the boss hears about this!"

* * *

When Izuku opened his eyes, he only saw darkness.

He didn't know where he was, nor how he got there. It was all foggy. The boy tried to recollect the events that led him to this point, but to no avail. His head kept on spinning and his limbs felt like lead, he was so disoriented and groggy that it just felt impossible.

Rolling to lay on his back, Izuku blinked a couple of times just to make sure it was really this dark here and that he wasn't blind now. He shivered in the freezing cold, his T-shirt and shorts doing nothing to shield him as the cold and hard floor sapped away his body's warmth. With MUCH effort (and a whole lot of groaning) the boy pushed himself to his feet, feeling relieved that most of his exposed skin did not touch the floor anymore.

Taking a single step, the boy yelped out in surprise when he couldn't part his legs very far from one another. He found himself on the cold floor again, accompanied by the ringing thud of rattling metal.

Though the boy didn't notice it before, there was a weird pressure around his wrists and ankles. That pressure felt cold to the touch, taking more warmth away from him and prickling at his skin.

_" wha…wa…tha…? Yo… thi…he... awe…?"_

Muffled voices were picked by Izuku's ears, causing the boy to perk up in attention. "Hello…?" he called, grimacing at how dry his throat felt "Is anyone there?"

"ye…he..up… righ… ca…the.. bos…"

A muffled but familiar voice called out and caused the boy's eyes to widen. It all came back to him. The voice he just heard was from the one who attacked him and Chima!

 _'Where is Chima?! Where have they took us?!'_ Realization quickly dawned on the boy as his heart sank. These people kidnapped him!

Thoughts running a mile a minute, Izuku breathing hastened as fear crawled up his spine. Questions like _'what are they gonna do with Chima?!'_ , _'what are they gonna do with me'_ and _'what should I do?'_ all ran amok inside his head.

But before he had a chance to come up with answers to any of those questions, the sound of footsteps was heard coming his way.

***CREEEAAAAAAKKKK...***

With a metallic grinding sound, light finally broke through and Izuku got a chance to look at where he was through squinted eyes.

He was in some sort of a closed-off box. Black metal walls were surrounding him on all sides, clearly capable of holding things much bigger than himself. Looking down at his limbs, his eyes widened at what he saw was attached to them. Metal shackles were locked in place around his wrists and ankles, short metal chains connecting them between each set.

"Looks like you're finally up." A crackling voice called out from above the boy. Looking up, Izuku flinched from the harsh light before he made out the silhouette of a man.

He didn't recognize who he was. The man had long, oily black hair that was tied into a single braid and rested on his back; He had a rather impressive and sharp chin-beard as well as a thin mustache that looked like he spent way too much time on. The man's pale skin did nothing to hide how muscular he was, much like his red and yellow open vest that revealed his well-toned body. Thin eyes stared at the boy, pupils resembling pools of lava, causing him to shiver in fear.

"W-where a-am I-I? W-where's Ch-Ch-Chima? W-what h-have you done to him?" Izuku stuttered.

The man before him only raised an unimpressed brow, "Chima?"

"He's talking about the Badger we brought with him." Aruku, who was standing behind the man chimed in.

The man nodded but did not cast his glance away from Izuku, "That friend of yours is of no concern at the moment. I came here because I want you to answer some questions. Would you be so kind as to do so?"

"W-where's C-Chima?" Izuku repeated. A hint of defiance in his eyes.

The man's mouth, that up until now was set in a false smile, curved into a scowl. "Ughhhh…." the man growled in irritation, "'Chima this! Chima that!'. This isn't about that stupid furball, you little shit!" Faster than the boy could process, the strong man grasped at the chains of his handcuffs and slammed them, and by extension him, into one of the walls of his prison.

Pushed against the wall with his hands held above his head, Izuku squirmed under the man's tight grip as he came face to face with him. The man grasped the collar of his shirt and the boy could smell the stench of burnt wood through his nose, "This is about you, boy. You **will** answer my questions and you will answer them **now**. AM?! I ?! CLEAR?!". Each time the man yelled and spat at the boy he re-rammed his back against the wall, knocking his breath out each time.

Black spots appeared in Izuku's vision and his spinning head now throbbed in pain. Despite this, he mustered the power to lift his head and faintly nodded, fighting back whimpers of pain as they threatened to escape his mouth.

"Good boy." The mustached&bearded man patted Izuku's cheek, his ash-like stench flowing into the boy's nose, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. The man held the paper in front of Izuku's head, "Have you ever seen these before?"

Izuku's eyes widened. On the paper was a picture of some of the animals he met in the caves. He could see Shirshu, Wolf-bats, Catgators, and many more animals locked in metal cages of various sizes. They all looked defeated. Like their fighting spirit was ripped out of them in the most violent way possible and then got beaten into a bloody pulp in front of their eyes before being shoved down the deepest hole on earth.

But what really broke his heart was the state the animals were in. All of them were skinny and frail, stomachs shriveled up and their cheeks caved in into their skulls. Almost everyone had a visible gnash or wound on their bodies: Some were missing chunks of fur while others were missing limbs or even ears and eyes.

He wanted to throw up.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Izuku didn't want to say anything, but his expression alone was enough of a tell. The man smirked in victory, little excited sparks beginning to emanate from his hand, catching the picture he held on fire. "Next question. That cave in that park in Musutafu wouldn't happen to lead to those animals, now does it?"

The greenette remained silent, forcing his eyes shut and struggling to not breathe through his nose.

"Answer the question, kid." The man spoke, gritting his teeth in impatience.

Izuku didn't utter a word, only shook in his place as his hands were going numb above his head.

"A tough guy, huh?" The man chuckled, releasing his hold on the chains of Izuku's cuffs and dropping the burned picture, letting it fall on the ground. He cast a look around at his entourage, all of whom took a step back knowing what he was going to do.

The boy didn't even have enough time to let his blood flow down to his hands before the braided man gripped the cuffs around his wrists forcefully and held him against the wall again, slamming him against the hard metal.

***THUUUUDDDDD! ***

"Let's try that again, brat." He growled out, his palms emitting sparks against the cuffs around Izuku's wrists. "IS THAT CAVE LEADS TO THOSE ANIMALS?! TELL MMMEEEEE!" The cold metal around the boy's wrists began to heat up exponentially. Going from Chill. To warm. To hot. To **searing**.

"GGGGGAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Izuku screamed out in agony, the metal burned against his skin, scorching the poor flesh on his wrists. His legs were thrashing about aimlessly in the air and fat tears dripped down his face. "STOP! STOP IIITTTT!"

"THEN ANSWER THE DAMNED QUESTION, YOU FUCKING BRAT! WHERE DOES THE CAVE LEAD?! WWHHHHEEERRREEE?!"

"YES!" The boy gave in.

"Hmph!" The man nodded and let go of the boy's cuffed wrists, letting him fall to the ground.

Hitting the hard ground did not bother the boy as much as it should. Instead, the boy merely laid on the ground and panted hard, the relief he felt as the burning stopped his only consolation.

The man who burned him looked at the boy from above. "Now, final question. According to Aruku's report, you had the same quirk, or a similar one, to that Badger he and Tekubi brought with them, is that right? Aruku? "

"Yes, boss." The fat man that battled Izuku in the park nodded.

"My question to you is this: Are you, by any chance, capable of navigating through those caves like the animals? Can you lead us to them?"

Izuku stopped panting. _'Why ask me this question? They already have some of the animals, they should be capable of reaching the cavern by themselves...'_ The boy closed his eyes, looking back into his memories. _'But I never saw anyone in the cave. They haven't been there before...'_ His eyes shot open, _'They want to find it!'_

"Well, brat." The man tapped his feet impatiently on the floor, "I'm waiting."

Izuku couldn't bring himself to look up at the man before him, neither physically nor emotionally. Instead, his gaze caught the discarded picture of all the animals in the cages. The hungry, maimed, and terrified animals who have all suffered by the hands of these men. The picture was almost completely burned over, the faces of some of the creatures barely viewable between the ashes of paper.

"No," He lied. "I can't."

A victorious smirk appeared on the man's face; "Brat, you're a terrible liar."

"Gah!"

Izuku didn't even have a moment to widen his eyes before the man's foot came hurtling into his stomach, sending him crashing into the edge of his cell.

He clutched his hurt stomach, casting a fear-filled glare at the group of men before him, "You want me to find the others, don't you? Well, forget it. I won't help villains like you! EVER!"

The man only continued smirking, "You're smarter than you look, kid. Good, that's mean you'll be able to actually follow orders." He turned his back to the boy, the other men behind him doing the same as they all began to walk out. "And don't worry, you'll help us soon enough."

They walked out.

"Close it."

The last thing Izuku saw before being plunged back to darkness, was that man's silhouette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *獸 = Beast. (Traditional Chinese)


	11. Book 1 chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The following contains content some audience might find disturbing. Imagery such as gore and animal cruelty are present here. If you can't stomach these topics, your discretion is advised.
> 
> I'm back with part two out of four! Now, before you read this, I want to point out that this chapter doesn't follow up the previous. Sorry if this upsets some of you but I really wanted to write this particular chapter for some time now. As a consolation, part three of the finale is done and will be moved on into its editing phase tomorrow.
> 
> You can expect it to come out by the weekend.
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> *SFX*
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.
> 
> Also please welcome back 41tern4tive as the editor/beta-reader. Thank you for all of your support! It means a lot to me!

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER TEN:

**ORIGINAL EARTHBENDERS, PART 2:**

**CHIMA: ORIGIN!**

* * *

A young Badgermole cub yawned in a high-pitched voice as his eyes fluttered open. Judging by his appearance and size, the small animal was clearly very new to the world. His short brown fur has barely had time to grow; much like his teeth and claws.

Currently, the small cub was still half asleep and had nuzzled gently between his loving parents. They were both fully grown Badgermoles, their fur was thick, their teeth and claws sharp, and their bodies had muscles that would've made anyone jealous if not for the blindness of their species and the fact they were all ripped.

***Grumble…***

With a growling stomach, the cub's grip on consciousness had tightened and he began squirming in place, alerting his parents.

His mother was the first of the two to wake up with a yawn of her own. She was smaller than the father, but only by a bit. The fur around her eyes was also quite unique, having a black outline to the white domino-mask pattern that had been there.

The father was much slower in getting up. He was the biggest of the trio; his back threatening to touch the cave's ceiling should he stand up.  
In terms of appearance, he wasn't that different from other Badgermoles, but if you looked closely, you could spot little tufts of white fur specking the brown hair around his whiskers, kind of like freckles.

Letting out a low-pitched growl, the patriarch of the small family stretched a bit and got up as well, facing his cub.

***Grumble…***

The sound emanating from the youngling's stomach was all the explanation the two needed before they snorted in amusement.  
They turned around to leave the cave in which they slept in, their small cub following them.

Walking around the caves was still new to the cub who not so long ago couldn't even walk. Making his way between his two parents, the cub stumbled in place often, needing them to correct him.

While his grasp on the sense that had allowed his kind to navigate the world was rather impressive for his age, he still had a long way to go.  
The ability was instinctive, that much was true, but that didn't mean they could use it flawlessly from day one. Practice was still needed.

It didn't take long for the cub to notice they were ascending, piquing his curiosity.  
Up till now, they had stayed in the caverns, not bothering to climb up.

On that day, the Badgermole cub visited the surface for the first time.

He was frozen in awe once they walked out of the cave. Heat he had never felt before radiated all over his head and back; a gentle breeze was caressing his snout and sounds he had never heard before like the chirping of birds were heard everywhere.

Motioned by his mother to continue, the cub followed his parents until they had come face to face with a hollow tree. Numerous flying insects were flying around it, entering and exiting it's hollow interior thanks to a small hole.

Held back by his mother, the two waited as the largest of the family swiped down at the tree, toppling it down with one blow.

The once-proud tree had laid on the forest floor now.  
The insects that once called the tree home flew out of it, forming into a buzzing swarm. They tried to attack the perpetrator, attempting to avenge the destruction of their home, but their stingers were no match for the mammal's thick hide.  
The large beast felt nothing against the swarming bees, merely an annoyance as they buzzed around his head.

In the back, the cub was shivering in fear from the loud humming of the bees' wings, comforted by his mother. He calmed down after a while, the bees had gone flying off.  
His parents got out of the way of him and the toppled tree, gesturing for him to go on.

Walking hesitantly forward, the cub came face to face with the carcass of the dead tree, a golden liquid pouring out from it's hollow interior.

One lick of the substance and the cub was in love. He shoved his head deeper into the tree, savoring every drop of honey he tasted.

* * *

It was on a day like any other that the Badgermole cub was awakened by an alluring scent. It was still too early to get up, that he was of sure, but that smell that had come into the cavern he and his parents slept in was so intoxicating that he didn't care about it.

Getting up and stretching a bit, the youngling took small and quiet steps as he made his way towards the direction the scent seemed to be coming from.

The surface.

His wondering about became quite a common occurrence over the past couple of months, the new mastery of his innate abilities was practically BEGGING him for independence.

So out he went from the cavern and began to navigate the system of tunnels,  
taking rights, lefts, and middles. He never stopped to wonder about the intricacy of the tunnels,  
because that was one of the many perks of being a Bagermole, for almost no other creature could hope to enter those tunnels and find their way,  
doomed to die in the darkness that spanned through tunnels longer than any sort of structure on Earth.

So he passed by other Badgermole families with his only care to not be disturbing while they slept, slowly getting to the higher levels of the underground labyrinth.

In no time at all, the youngling got out of the cave and into the humid early morning air.  
He found himself in a clearing in the forest, the entrance to the cave he emerged from just behind him on the side of a small hill.  
Tall trees acted as the border to the clearing, thick enough to block any line of sight between it and the forest.

Today it felt like the forest was livelier than usual, multiple creatures congregated around the border of the clearing, huddled together in groups or by their lonesome.

But that wasn't what he was focused on. A tall figure stood a couple of dozen meters in front of him, the sweet scent that summoned him seemingly emanating from him.

That figure had long, oily black hair that he fashioned into a single braid that rested lazily on the back of his open red and yellow vest.  
In the man's hands rested a box of a sort, its pink color going unnoticed by the blind mammal.

"Hello there, little guy…" the cub heard the voice coming from the figure's direction. He had never encountered a creature that sounded like he did… everything about him was foreign. The pitch of his voice was like nothing he ever heard, gentler than his kind and the Shirshu but louder and deeper than a Lop-eared rabbit's. He walked on two legs, seemingly keeping his balance even while in that awkward position. He smelled of smoke and ash, the first living thing the cub ever encountered that produced such scent.

It was the very first human he had ever met.

The sickly-sweet scent seemed to get stronger tenfold, overpowering the burnt musk the man radiated, "C'mon little guy…" The figure spoke again, the slightest bit of eagerness tracing his voice "Come here and eat…"

The voice, while foreign, was balmy and welcoming, as if inviting him to enjoy something with him. The man placed the small pink box on the ground before tapping on it once and looking back at the Badgermole cub.

Said cub gasped in surprise as the intoxicating smell seemed to only intensify further, it was on that moment he realized the scent that had gotten him all excited originated from the foreign object.

The man stepped back as the cub stepped closer to the object, sniffing at it excitedly as a victorious smirk was stretched on the man's face. _'Got him.'_

***WHOOSH! ***

Faster than the youngling could process, a metallic clank was heard across the clearing and something heavy slammed into him.

Pain shot through the cub's body as he felt the thing that hit him wrap around his body and sending him flying. He only managed to let out a high-pitched yelp of pain before he hit the ground. Hard.

"Kehehehe…" The cub heard the figure's voice as he held his aching head in between his paws, stuck under a heavy net. The warm voice now felt like it was burning his eardrums as he looked at his trapped body, "We got ourselves quite the catch, boys!"

Several people began to emerge from behind different covers around the clearing and joined the man's cackling as they looked down on the whimpering Badgermole. "I can't believe that formula actually worked…" Tekubi Jū murmured in surprise.

"It'd better…" The ashen-man murmured under his breath. "I paid top yen to have that artificial bait developed in secret."

"What's it's quirk anyway?" Jū cast an unimpressed glance at the cub.

A well-built man walked from behind Jū, though he was short, it was apparent he was a figure of authority amongst the men as the others remained a respectful distance away from him, the same they did for their leader. Aruku Kūki, the leader's right hand, cast a glance at the cub "Definitely a mutant type." he replied.

"No shit, sherlock." Jū deadpanned, the only one who regarded Aruku with nonchalance.  
"I meant that he might have an additional ability...well, besides looking dumb."

"Either way…" The ashen-man chuckled as he put an uncomfortably hot hand on the tied cub's head, causing to youngling to flinch and his head began to pulse, "He would do nicely for now, dontcha thi-?"

***CRACK! ***

Before the tall man got to finish his sentence, a massive boulder crashed into him with full force, breaking one or two of his bones.  
Sent flying, the man crashed into the hard ground, blacking out and crushed by rubble.

"What th-!"

**"RRRROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!"**

Before any of the humans present got a chance to digest what had happened, two furious roars echoed in the forest, shaking the very ground beneath their feet and causing their hearts to drop.

Before them stood two creatures that dwarfed any animal any of them ever seen. Looking like larger versions of the one they caught, the beasts bared their razor-sharp teeth at the men as their claws dug into the ground like it was made of clay.

Those two were the cub's parents and they. Were. **LIVID!**

* * *

The cub shed joyful tears as he had futilely clawed at the net, trying desperately to escape. His parents ran to him as fast as they could, forcefully ramming into any humans that were in the way, launching them flying into the distance.

They positioned themselves around him, shielding his body with theirs as the men surrounded them on all sides. Primal growls emitted from their throats, promising an agonizing end to any who would be foolish enough to come any closer.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS?!" A man cried out in panic.

"LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE CAUGHT WAS JUST A BABY!" Jū yelled back, "THOSE THINGS ARE PROBABLY IT'S MOM AND DAD!"

"Kahkahkah!" A large man chuckled darkly and stepped toward the two beasts. "Those things look pretty tough!"

A predatory grin stretched across the man's face as his muscles grew and bulged. "Which means this will be fun!" cackling in glee the man jumped forward and cocked his fist back, preparing for a fight he is sure to enjoy.

*** SNARL ***

His target snarled in fury and backhanded the muscular man viscously. With a sick ***crack*** of shattered bones and displaced organs, the man was sent flying. Smashing through multiple trees and head dragging across the ground, the body finally came to a stop, going limp.

"HOLY SHIT! IT TOOK DOWN SUJI IN ONE BLOW!" The men stopped, mouth agape, and eyes wide.

"Tch! Idiot…" Jū facepalmed at his comrade's stupidity, "Five years in the Tōu Liè Zhě and he still tries to fight everything head-on, that's not how we do things…"

Aiming his wrist at one of the monsters, Jū let a condescending smirk appear on his face, "BECAUSE THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE, FUCKER!"

***Bang! – Bang! – Bang! ***

Several keratin bullets shot out of the man's wrist, aimed directly into the shoulder of one of the Badgermoles. To the man's surprise, however, the bullets merely bounced off the animal's hide, not leaving even a scratch to be remembered by.

"N-no-… No way…" Jū stood shocked as his target turned towards him with righteous fury in their eyes.

Swiping their claws through the ground so fast that Jū couldn't even perceive the motion, a stream of erupting earth columns was shot in his direction and made a direct hit with his chest.

***SLAM! ***

The impact launched the long-range fighter backward, landing on his back and gasping in pain. _'So those things have more abilities after all…'_ Jū tried to roll onto his stomach and stand up, but he immediately regretted it when a sharp pain was shot through his chest.

 _'That damn thing broke my ribs…'_ the man gritted his teeth as his limbs shook with the effort of getting up. But before he was even halfway there, a swipe from the Badgermole's tail sent him flying. Crushing headfirst into a tree, Jū lost consciousness, leaving a bloodstain on the trunk.

"Tekubi! Damn it!" Aruku cursed.

Taking a gun-looking contraption from the holster on his hip, the well-built man aimed it at the Badgermole who pummeled his comrade and pressed the trigger.

***Bang! ***

A metallic cable shot out and latched itself into the Badgermole's midsection, "Night-night!"

**"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

A pain-filled roar boomed across the clearing as electricity coursed through the Badgermole's body, causing it to spasm and fall to the ground.

Aruku sighed in relief, "That's one…"

***SLAM! ***

Before anyone had a chance to celebrate, however, the electrocuted beast stomped its paw forcefully onto the ground, standing up and alerting everyone present that it wasn't down yet.

"Are you kidding me?!" Aruku whined, "THAT WAS ENOUGH TO KNOCK OUT AN ELEPHANT!"

From somewhere behind him someone yelled, "These things look like elephants to you?!"

Before he had a chance to retort to the smartass,  
Aruku perked up when he noticed that he was cast in shadows.  
Looking up, the man's jaw dropped to the floor when he saw a hill sized wall rising from the earth between himself and the large beast, towering over every tree in the forest.

"Oh, Shi-!"

***CRACK! ***

Whipping its' tail against the wall base, the Badgermole sent the mass of earth falling onto his opponent.

Going airborne, Aruku tried to escape being buried by dozens of tons of rocks by flying away. _'Nonononono…!'_

***SLAM! ***

"GAAAAHHH!" Aruku let out a bloodcurdling scream as the wall came down, crashing onto his legs. Buried beneath tons of earth, his fragile bones shattered on impact, shards cutting into arteries and piercing through muscles. The pain was too much to handle, his legs were rendered as flattened sheets of flesh and bones, and Aruku soon lost consciousness...

He was lucky.

Multiple men got squashed by the massive structure, their remains not even poking out from underneath the disaster site.

"G-g-get away f-from me, you monsters!" A terrified thug was crawling on the ground away from the Badgermoles, too scared to even stand up.

The animal didn't even glance at the man before biting down hard on the man's arm. "GGGAAAAAHHHHH!" The man screamed as the teeth sank into his flesh and drilled into his bones.  
Jerking it's head from side to side, the man's helpless body got dragged in the air like a chew toy.  
With a loud ***Snap!*** he was sent flying up high only to splat into the ground, his left arm still in the animal's gullet.

As his mother was busy fighting off the humans, the cub's father grasped the net around his son between two of his claws gently and lifted the trapping contraption off him.

With his cub now free, the small family could've run back to the cave if not for the large group of humans still in their way.

Sensing a place that was devoid of his son's attackers, a small group of low bushes and trees that was on the opposite side to the cave.  
The large Badgermole gestured for the cub to go hide there while he and the mother took care of the humans.

Meanwhile, the group's leader was trying to blinking the black spots out of his field of vision as he began to come to. He stood up, the rubble that rested atop him falling to the side and assessed his surroundings.

It was pure chaos.

His men were everywhere. Multiple bodies littered the battlefield, whether alive or not remained uncertain.  
They were buried under rubble and boulders, some were missing their limbs and others got themselves hurtled all the way back to the forest, their bodies laid under the shade of trees.

Those who were awake weren't in a much better place.  
They darted about and ran for their lives in panic, not managing to get very far before a projectile rammed into them forcefully and made them join their comrades on the floor.  
A few brave souls tried to keep the fight going, but they were close to losing. The beasts were doing a number on them, sending earthen protrusions at them or attaching them with claws and teeth.

A pile of severed limbs laid at their feet, as if the two monsters found them too disgusting to eat.

***SLAM! ***

One of the beasts slammed their paws into the ground, sending a small cloud of dust into the air as the ground around it began to shake.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"

***RUMBLE! ***

The men stumbled, struggling to remain oriented as their footing was taken away from them by the large monster.

***RIP! ***

Before any got a chance to catch their breath, multiple boulder-sized chunks of earth were ripped suddenly from the ground, slamming into the men's chests and jaws as they went upwards, deforming the clearing's grounds further.

The men breathed a sigh of relief once the last of the boulders was ripped from the ground and no other came after it.  
Their relief was short-lived, however, as it was disrupted by one of them yelling, "Look up!"

Their hearts stopped beating.

Up above them, several dozens of boulders were freefalling right back at them, summing up in several dozens of tons of earth.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

***CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! ***

The criminals were running around like tiny ants as the massive boulders came crashing down onto the earth, smashing onto them or their comrade's bodies.

***BAM! ***

A few people that were out of the range of fire couldn't help but flinch when a massive boulder crashed directly on one of the beasts' heads.  
To their horror and shock, the animal didn't even flinch in the face of such devastating impact, instead opting to swipe down a man that seemed to be dodging the earth-to-earth rocks rather well.

Despite all of that, a massive grin stretched across the leader's face. _'Earth powers…That would explain a lot!'_

The tall man spread his hands to the side and stepped forward, looking at the beasts in front of him with a maniacal grin that caused some of his men nightmares for years to come. "You're coming with me, furballs…"

The man's hands began glowing a bright orange with violent sparks, illuminating the morning twilight with a sickening hue and garnering the attention of all his fear struck men.

The boss was stepping in.

***FWOOSH! ***

The sparks on the man's hands grew in their intensity, evolving into tongues of bright orange flames, dancing and crackling at the man's side.  
Two flaming whips were prodding from the leader's hands, radiating a dry heat that reminded the men around him of the desert air; lifeless and ruthless. "TAKE THIS!"

***SLAP! ***

"RRRRRAAAAAAAOOOORRRRR!"

One of the whips flickered forward with the man's hand, slapping harshly against one of the beast's faces, causing a roar of agony to thunder through the clearing.

The cub let out a terrified gasp. His parent's roar of pain was different from the ones before. Where once anger and annoyance had been the prevailing emotions from getting attacked, now all he could sense from his mother was pain and fear.

The flaming man stepped in front of his men, eyes raging in silent firestorms. "You two caused some damages." He scanned the battlefield, eyeing the fallen and injured before returning to stare at the two beasts. "That's some quirks you two have."

He took a step.

The female Badgermole's firm stand was shaken as she stepped back in wariness.  
The leader's smirked.

***SLAP! ***

With no warning signs whatsoever, the leader's flaming whips hit their mark again. Extending farther than they did before, the Badgermole female roared in pain again as her nape was hit this time, lightly scorching her fur and causing her to stumble.

Despite this, she held strong and sent a stream of jagged rocks at the man.

He side-stepped the attack, swinging his whips like a lasso and wrapping them up around the Badgermole's neck.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She roared out in pain once more, struggling against the flaming whips that singed her fur. The man had yanked at his firey weapons, bringing the mother to the ground.

"RRRROOOAAAARRRR!"

The man averted his gaze from his current target in nonchalance.  
The other beast unleashed a wave of killing intent at him, furious for the suffering of his spouse.  
Many of the men in the vicinity stepped back in fear, all feeling like a cornered mouse in the face of such a presence.

He charged forward, rattling the ground with his pounces.

But the leader wasn't phased in the slightest.  
"They never learn…"

***WWHHHIPPPP! ***

"ROAR!"

Crossing his arms together, the man formed an 'X' shape with his whips and smacked them against his charger straight on the forehead, causing the large beast to fall on the ground and drag across it before coming to a halt.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?!" The leader barked at his subordinates, "DO I REALLY NEED TO DO ALL THE WORK HERE?! HURRY UP AND PUT A MUZZLE ON THOSE THINGS!"

Their leader's glare was all it took for every available man to gulp in fear and do as they were told.

Taking metal cables out of their bags, the thugs surrounded the Badgermoles and began throwing the cables over their bodies and around their limbs.  
Grasping at the cables ends, at least three dozen men pulled on them as hard as they could, attempting to secure their targets to the ground.

Despite their efforts, the beasts had them beat in this contest of strength, not struggling at all to rise back to their feet and even shaking off a few of them as well.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" One of the men barked, "HOW STRONG ARE THESE THINGS?!"

The metal cables that were wrapped around the two Badgermoles creaked and groaned under the pressure they were under.  
Pushing against their restraints with unnatural levels of strength, the duo trashed violently from side to side, attempting to send the men flying.

"YOU TWO ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"

***WHHIIIPPP! ***

**"RRRRROOOOAAAAAHHHHHRRRRR!"**

The flaming whips came at the beasts, warping around their abdomens and pushing them down.  
The whips singed at the creatures' fur and hide, its thickness doing nothing to protect it from the flames.  
Their struggles weakened with each second the whips were wrapped around them as if their vitality was being drained away from them.

They couldn't hold on. Their legs shook and they struggled to stand, much less fight off all the men atop them. They breathed hard, consoling themselves with the knowledge their cub was safe before giving in.

***BBBOOOOOOMMM! "**

The two collapsed to the ground, whimpering one single yelp together before falling unconscious.

It was a hard-fought battle for everyone.  
Many were injured, many more even killed; But the adrenaline of the moment caused all those who were conscious to forget about it right now, too busy celebrating their greatest catch ever.

**"YYYEEEAAAAAHHHHH!"**

"TAKE THAT YA MOTHERFUCKING BADGERS! NO ONE MESSES WITH THE TŌU LIÈ ZHĚ AND ESCAPES US!"

But the leader could care less about that. They were still far away from the goal. Today was much more a loss than it was a victory, they lost so much trying to catch those two.

Not to mention there was one thing that was still unresolved.

"WILL YOU IDIOTS SHUT THE FUCK UP?!". Every man fell silent immediately, "I DON'T THINK ANY OF YOU DUNDERHEADS HAVE FIGURED IT OUT BY NOW, BUT WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING! WHERE IS THE CUB?!"

"I-I d-don't see him anywhere s-sir," One thug answered in a shaky voice. "M-maybe he ran b-back-ck to the c-cave?"

The leader facepalmed, "HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THAT?! I'M **SURE** THAT THE **MAN-SIZED** BADGER COULD'VE JUST RAN PAST TWENTY OF YOU BUFFOONS WHO WERE STANDING BETWEEN IT AND THE CAVE!"

"..."

"JUST FIND IT, GODDAMNIT!" He barked, "I WANT THE GUARD ON THIS CAVE'S ENTRANCE DOUBLED WHILE THAT CUB REMAINS AT LARGE. THE LAST THING WE NEED IS FOR **ANYONE** TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE TUNNELS AND THAT CUB CAN LEAD THEM STRAIGHT TO THEM! FIND IT! UNDERSTOOD!?"

Having given his orders, the man rubbed together his temples as he watched his subordinates do as they were told. He stared at the entrance to the cave the beasts came out of, wondering just how many more creatures could be living inside before turning away.

A part of him wanted to enter and find for himself, but he was smarter than that. For only one of his men ever came back from there, dying shortly after.

* * *

The youngling darted between the trees as fast as he could, brushing against leaves and barks with his massive body. The memory of his parents crashing into the ground and whimpering could not leave his mind, plaguing him and forcing more and more tears out.

He hiccupped; his breath labored. He was alone. He couldn't go back, not to his parents and not to the caves.

The world around him lost focus, nothing mattered to him anymore. He tackled more and more obstacles. Ramming into barks and trunks forcefully and taking high jumps from atop of hills. The pain did not bother him, he had already reached his limit.

So he ran.

And ran.

And ran…

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, he just continued running. Getting as far away as possible was all that mattered. All he had left.

They took them from him. Those creatures took away his entire world. He was angry. Enraged! FURIOUS! At those creatures for taking them away and forcing him to flee. At himself for ever falling into their trap and trusting them. At his parents for falling to their hands…

He was afraid. His parents were beaten. He never met anyone stronger than his parents, and they lost. Beaten. He heard their cries as they collapsed. Pain and fear were all he felt from them, held down by metal cables and the deafening, disgusting, acclaims of those creatures dominating the battlefield.

The man that smelled like ash was the scariest. He singlehandedly held his parents back, burning them as their strength and will to fight left their bodies. His head throbbed where the man had laid his hand on him, his crackling voice still vibrating through his head. As if he was still trapped in that net and the man's burning hand kept on searing the fur and flesh on his head.

He wasn't sure for how long he ran, could've been hours; could've been days. He climbed up mountains, run through valleys, crossed a river or two, and kept on going. He did not know where he was, letting his body and fate bring him to where he is supposed to be.

***Ba -Dump!***

He felt something up ahead.

He did not know what that was, nor did he care. All he knew was that **thing** up ahead was calling him. Guiding the instincts that controlled his body, as it resonated in an almost familiar beat.

***Fwoooooossshhhh! ***

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

He burst through the shrubbery, tackling into a smaller mass that wailed in a high-pitched voice as they both tumbled to the ground.

***Thwomp! ***

"Ughh…" The youngling's head spun as he heard a groan. Trying to lift his head, his snout brushed against a fluffy mass of curls, the hairs longer and denser than his fur.

"Hey…" He heard a voice call from beneath him, "excuse me, but … you're kinda crushing me …".

The cub's head turned downwards, coming face to face with the one he tackled.

The one on the ground stared back at him, inspecting the cub as much as the cub inspected it. His body was tiny, smaller than even the youngest of his kind. Its' body felt weird, his abdomen and thighs were covered by what almost felt like a second layer of skin which almost resembles plant fiber. Its' arms, calves, and face were naked, the skin itself felt soft and fragile; as if brushing it against any sharp object, no matter how gently, could puncture it. The mass of curls he brushed against rested on its' head, giving off a strong scent of flowers despite being covered in dust.

It breathed in slowly. As if captivated by the cub's appearance as the cub was by it.

And for whatever reason, the cub felt a tinge of familiarity as the one on the ground gazed at his face with curious eyes. The way its' heartbeat reminded him of the times he snuggled with his parents. Feeling their heartbeats as well, beating in sync with the ground's tremor beneath them.

"Umm … excuse m- " It spoke and the spell was broken. While the voice was high-pitched and the tone was different, there was no mistaking the species. Beneath him was one of the kind that took away his parents.

"Whoa!" The cub jumped back as if electrocuted, pushing back the kid's body into the ground and gaining some distance.

The kid got up and looked at the cub. He lowered himself to the ground. Arching his back to appear more menacing, he bared his teeth at the boy and growled in the most threatening voice he could muster.

The two stared at the other, not moving a muscle.

The kid took a step forward, extending a hand towards him.

 ***Grrrr… *** The cub growled, warning the kid to step back. He did so, face frowning before he let out a squeal and **shoved** his hands into his pockets.

 ***Grah! *** The cub grunted, eliciting a yelp out of the boy as he turned back to him. The kid raised his hands slowly in the universal sign of surrender, before **slowly** putting his hands in his pockets again and pulling out some kind of package.

He did not drop his guard as the kid rampaged through with what he pulled out, but once the package tore open the cub couldn't help it and began to drool.

A heavenly scent wafted through the air around him. The sweet aroma of honey enticed him, causing his stomach to grumble in longing.

The boy smiled brightly, placing the food a few meters ahead of the cub before stepping back.

His heart stopped.

The cub wasn't there with the boy anymore. Instead, he found himself back in that clearing. The food that smelled like honey changed, taking the form of the bait that lured him. In the boy's place stood the man that reeked of ash, his hand was atop the cub's head again, the throbbing he felt there intensifying to a scorching pain.

Face morphed into a terrified expression, the cub bolted away from the kid as fast as possible, not daring to look back.

"W-wait!" The tiny human called "Where are you going?!".

* * *

"I-I " ***gasp*** " f-finally " ***gasp*** "got you… ughhh". The boy croaked before collapsing to the ground.

The chase has come to an end in a draw, both human and Badgermole were fallen on the ground, panting. The cub tried to get up and get away, but his muscles refused to budge. His throat was dry and his stomach empty, head spinning as he sniffed tiredly at their surroundings.

They were within a small clearing in the woods, about three square meters without any trees within them. Overgrown grass brushed gently against the two as the warm evening sun radiated warmth.

The cub pushed himself to his feet with great effort, starting to limp his way away from the boy.

"W- ***gasp*** wait!" the kid pleads, struggling to get on his feet.

Against his better judgment, the cub stopped and turned around.

He felt no danger.

"I-I ***gasp*** I didn't mean to scare you … I just wanted to help!" He panted as he slowly took out the item of food and held it out to the cub. "You look hungry." The boy smiled, "My mom made it, and it's really good … want some?"

***Growl…***

Hunger began to overpower fear and the cub took a step closer, sniffing apprehensively at the food that smelled of honey.

The boy let out a giggle. He didn't understand why, but the child's voice was different from that of the other humans he met. It was genuinely warm and comforting, not like the facade the ashen man had put up.

The child outstretched his arms, the sticky food held atop his palms, and a giddy smile on his face. He stopped a few paces away from him, arms outstretched as far as possible as he looked forward expectantly.

The cub took a hesitant step forward…

…Then another…

…And another…

Soon enough, his snout was inches away from the boy's hands, breathing down hot air on his palms.

"Come on!" The boy encouraged and smiled, "Dig in!"

The cub slowly took the bar with his mouth and walked away slowly from the boy. Having reached a sufficient distance from him, the animal put the bar between its front legs and began chewing it slowly.

Once its teeth sunk into the food there was no stopping him. The cub devoured the snack with fervor, savoring each moment there was something in his mouth. In less than ten seconds he was already finished, disappointed that it was already over.

The boy laughed and pulled out more food from his pocket, "You want another one?"

The cub perked up and ran to the boy as fast as he could, taking the bar away from his hands and chowing on it happily, not bothering to gain distance this time.

He finished it again quickly, but his taste buds demanded more. He could still catch the whiff of honey coming from the boy, specifically his hands.

Instinct kicked in and he began licking the child's hands, taking away any lingering leftovers from between his fingers.

The boy giggled, putting a hand on the cub's head.

Exactly where the ashen man did before.

For the first time since he escaped, the throbbing he felt from that spot stopped. He felt the child's soft hands caress his fur gently, fingers moving through the hairs like they would through water.

He purred.

How could he not? He felt safe. He felt full, He felt loved. He snuggled deeper into the boy's arms, letting him envelop them around his snout in a hug, "Hehe! H-hey … that tickles!" Izuku Midoriya laughed as the cub's whiskers brushed against his skin.

Chima may have lost his home that day. But he managed to find a new one.

* * *

**Aruku Kūki**

** Quirk:  ** **Airwalk**

**Description: Airwalk allows the user to levitate in the air. There is also a height limit of about twenty meters to the quirk and the user can't go any higher. The user's constitution determines the speed's the quirk is capable of, a slow person will only be able to float slowly in the air while an accomplished sprinter could fly around at fast speeds.**

**Appearance: Aruki is a short man with a chubby body. A mop of thin and colorless hair rests on his head, making him look almost like a fat scarecrow.**

**Affiliation: Tōu liè zhě, Japanese branch.**

**Age: 33.**

**Birthday: 17/11.**

**Height: 167 cm.**

**Favorite food: Shrimp Tempura.**

**Favorite thing: Sleeping.**

**Tidbit:**

**Aruku was once a well-built man who rarely ever stood still and always did something. Add to that his powerful flying quirk, he was one of the Tōu liè zhě's leading officers.**

**After the Badgermole fiasco, he got severely injured, rendered unable to walk for almost two years. During that time he had gained considerable weight and a few bad habits.**

**By the time he could walk again, there were no traces of the man he once was.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from 41tern4tive: haha tanjiro go boom boom  
> Anyways, I'm back as OP Taipan's editor!  
> Or if you want to make it sound a bit less climactic, beta-reader. I do prefer the other one though. Ah well, enough shitposting. E


	12. Book 1 chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The following contains content some audience might find disturbing. Imagery such as gore and animal cruelty are present here. If you can't stomach these topics, your discretion is advised.
> 
> Back with part three! Please comment and wash your hands!
> 
> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'
> 
> Narration(underlined)
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> *SFX*
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.
> 
> A big shoutout to41tern4tive for editing/beta-reading!  
> It is thanks to him, as well as your criticisms, that I can improve.

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

**ORIGINAL EARTHBENDERS, PART 3:**

**TŌU LIÈ ZHĚ**

* * *

Two individuals leaned against the walls of a large warehouse, talking amongst themselves. Their appearance wasn't noteworthy, their faces even less so. They wore a matching uniform, a brown jacket made from dirty leather, and pants made from the same material on their legs.  
One of them held a taser in a holster on his thigh, while the other had the tips of knuckledusters poking from his pockets. A green hanzi simple was sowed into both of their jackets, above where the heart is, presented proudly for all to see.

The open space was big, housing many different crates of various equipment, food, and the occasional weapon.  
A large metal gate was at the room's edge, meant to allow trucks to load and unload cargo into the large space.

At the center of the warehouse laid a large metallic box. It was the biggest in the room, capable of housing any truck that has ever set wheel in the place itself. The sound of flesh hitting metal never failed to come from that container, for the one within it never stopped pounding his fists against the black metal.

***Bang! ***

***Bang! ***

***Bang! ***

"Man, he's really going at it." Mukankei lamented.

"Tell me about it." Detarame, the other guard in charge of the prisoner, nodded back. "Do you think kidnapping the kid was worth it? We tried to use earth-related quirks before in those tunnels. Didn't do much good to the guys we sent."

"Beats me." Mukankei shrugged, "The boss seems to think so. And I guess trying with the kid won't hurt anyone. Though I am worried that the feds will start to look for us. Someone is bound to notice a kid is missing."

"Don't worry about it," Detarame dismissed with a wave of his hand, "Kidnapping kids, or people for that matter, isn't our motif. We wouldn't exactly be the first suspects for it. Not to mention the police probably don't know we even exist! Much less being aware of this base! But I have been wondering about something... " The man scratched his chin, "Tekubi said that the brat held his own against Akuru. What kind of eight-year-old can fight against a grown man?"

Mukankei rolled his eyes. "Big shock. Anyone with a few brain cells and a doughnut to distract him can take that guy on no problem, even a fucking brat!" He grumbled, "I just hate him! He can freaking **fly**! And what does he do with it?! Nothing! He just rolls around eating junk food all day!"

"I can't really disagree..." Detarame deliberated. " There was a time when Aruku was the second in command though. ***Sigh...*** How the mighty have fallen..."

Mukankei raised an eyebrow, "Really? What the hell happened, then?" he asked.

"The Badger incident," Detarame spoke, his voice grave as if he just remembered the day his best friend died. "Those monsters down there crushed his legs under 15 tons of rocks, it's a miracle the guy can even walk-"

***BAAAAAMMMMMMMMM! ***

Just then, the sound of a truck colliding with a wall drummed through the warehouse, it's source emanating from the large cell in the room's center.

"Eeeeepp!"

"A-are we sure that thing can hold him?" Mukankei asked in a low tone, hand over his frantic heart.

"Don't be stupid, of course it can!" A voice shouted from the doorway.

Turning around, the two found Tekubi entering the warehouse, a small cage held in his hand like a sack of potatoes.

"That cell was designed to hold those giant Badger creatures we caught three years ago." He explained. "It can't be controlled by their quirks **and** it can take blows from them no problem! What can a child do to escape it? Especially one that's also chained up?!"

"Oh. When you put it that way-"

"Just shut up and listen!" Tekubu grumbled and walked in.

He placed the metal cage he was holding on one of the many wooden boxes in the storage facility.

"What's that?" Detarame asked. He couldn't see what was in the cage when Tekubi's body covered it.

"New merchandise." He answered, shifting to the side so that the guards could have a look for themselves.

Inside was a small rabbit. The small mammal was covered in a thick layer of fluffy fur; patches of black fur were on its' back and one of its eyes, fading into gray which then turned to the pearly white fur that covered the rest of its body. Beady black eyes stared in fear at the large man, it's pink nose sniffing the foul air apprehensively. The most prominent feature about the rabbit was its ears. White with a black base to one of them, they were the same length as the rest of its body, stretching across the cage's floor.

It backed itself into the cage's corner, trying to get as much distance as possible away from the gunpowder-colored-haired man.

"The guys on lookout at the cave's entrance caught it about an hour ago. The stupid rat fell into our trap hook, line, and sinker. Normally, we would throw him with the others, but the rodents' cages are under maintenance. _Man, that place smells.._."

Turning to leave, Tekubi cast the guards a last glance. "Someone should come by in an hour to take it. Until then, it's staying here, got it?"

The guards nodded, "Yessir!"

"Good. Also," He looked to the cage that held their green-haired prisoner. He was still pounding on the walls. "See if you can get the brat to shut up. I have to deal with enough loud morons as is."

* * *

**"** LET! ***BAM! *** ME! ***BAM! *** OUT! ***BAM! *** " Izuku pounded against the wall, screaming at the top of his lungs. The boy rammed his shoulder against the wall, again and again, and again, anything to get their attention. "PLEASE! ***Bam! *** _Please…_ " He fell to his knees.

The boy had been doing this for hours, pleading with all his heart. He felt defeated. His voice was hoarse, his palms were bruised, and his knuckles were bleeding. Sweat rolled off his body almost as fast as tears did, pooling on the cold metal floor.

He choked back a sob before breaking and letting it out. He curled onto himself, hugging his knees and bawling. His eyes were forced shut, fighting the rivers of tears that flowed from them. His mind was abuzz. Every thought hurt him and worsened his crying, no matter how hard he tried to clean his head.

He tried to get that picture out of his mind. The one that had shown all those hurt animals like they were a prize; like the one who took it should be rewarded for torturing all those innocent creatures.

But he couldn't.

That damned picture was all that he could think about, despite only ever truly looking at it once.

He remembered every damned detail like it was inscribed into his mind with a chisel. He could see the Catgator that had all of her teeth removed; The Shirshu without a nose; All those poor Lop-eared rabbits without feet or ears; The wingless wolf-bats; and the Singing Groundhogs that looked more dead than living.

They were all looking at him, **begging** of him for help with their hollow faces that looked oh so close to giving up on life.

Then he saw Chima.

But not the Chima he remembered.

He looked worse than all the other animals combined. He was missing legs; eyes; ears; teeth; tail; everything that wasn't vital. Entire patches of fur were gone from his body, ripped off his skin, and taking his flesh with them.

The once-proud Badgermole shifted his head to face Izuku, creating a squishing sound that nothing alive should be capable of. His face was more sunk than the titanic at sea, mere skin on bone with nothing in between; He let out a gurgling groan as if he was choking up on his own blood. Water mixed with blood dripped from empty sockets, pooling with the red puddle underneath his body.

His head fell and his breathing stopped.

He was dead.

**_"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_ **

Izuku eyes opened wide and he screamed, white ethereal light illuminating the pitch-black cell for just a second. His blood boiled and his heart raged. He couldn't take it. HE COULDN'T TAKE IT!

***BAAAAAMMMMMMMMM! ***

His curled fists rammed into the wall, shaking up the entire cell.

***Inhale…***

***...Exhale…***

***...Inhale…***

***..Exhale…***

***...Inhale…***

***...Exhale…***

***...Inhale…***

***...Exhale…***

The boy's hands were still on the wall, picking up the vibrations he caused to ripple through the wall of processed earth. He remembered that feeling; He felt the vibrations course through his hands. Continuing up his arm, finding themselves on his shoulder and finally dropping down, pulling into the base of his spine like they had done so many times before on earthen floor.

He blinked, eyes still producing tears and hands on the wall.

There was a dent on that wall.

* * *

"Tōu Liè Zhě? I didn't know they were active in Japan…" Naomosa Tsukachi skimmed through a thin file and hummed to himself. The newly-promoted detective sat at his desk, sipping coffee and going through multiple files as fast as he could.

"Hey there, Tsukauchi!" A hearty voice called out. A balding man approached him, his eyes warm and his smile fond. He wore a dark suit below a black waistcoat, his tie as upkept as a tree in a royal garden.

Lifting his head, Tsukauchi scrambled to stand up and bowed to the man, "Good evening, Tanuma-senpai!"

The now recognized Tanuma shook his head, "I thought I told you to drop the 'senpai'. I may have been a detective longer than you, but we are still partners. Lighten up!"

Tsukauchi chuckled and rubbed his nape, "I'll try and remember that."

"Anyhow, what are you doing?" Tanuma asked, "Your spirit is way too high for someone who's first-ever shift as a detective is the night shift."

"Well, since we didn't get a case yet, I thought it would do me good to read through the police archives. Get myself familiar with what I'm going to go up against, you know?"

Tanuma let out a hearty laugh, "Eager as ever, I see. But don't get ahead of yourself, we don't get much action here in Naruhata."

Tsukauchi could only nod in agreement, "True. But reading those files has been illuminating for me. You knew the Tōu Liè Zhě are active in Japan?"

Tanuma raised a brow, "Yes, though their presence here is not that strong. Most officers and heroes haven't even heard of them. Where have you?"

"I think I read about them in a book once…" Tsukauchi hummed, "But I can't seem to remember much other than them being an organization of poachers…"

"You know, it's funny. They are pretty big outside of Japan. But in it? No one has heard of them." Tanuma murmured, "Guess we really do live in a bubble…"

"How big are they exactly?" Tsukauchi asked eyeing the folder he was holding, "There isn't much about them in the archives…"

"In the Japanese archives, you mean…" Tanuma corrected. "I'm willing to bet the Chinese and Russian archives are swimming with files about them. As for your question: The Tōu Liè Zhě is the world's largest poaching organization by far, spanning most of south-east Asia, the Indian Peninsula, China, and Northern Asia.

"THEY ARE **THAT** BIG?!" Tsukauchi gaped, his jaws threatening to hit the floor. "When?! How?! How can one organization grow to be so powerful?!"

"Well, it didn't happen overnight," Tanuma explained. "and it's not like they started from scratch. Poachers were always major players in the criminal world of south-east Asia. When quirks started to appear governments may begun to collapse but criminal enterprises got acclimated pretty quickly, since having a quirk or not didn't really hinder their goals that much."

"Okay, I follow…" Tsukauchi nodded for him to continue.

"One of the exceptions to that, however, was the poaching market. Quirks may have been most commonly found in humans, but other animals developed them as well. Their numbers were scarce, amounting to no more than a few dozens in millions; But that rarity only made them more coveted, more coveted than any animal from before the era of quirks."

"That means that they had an entirely new commodity to sell!" Tsukauchi exclaimed, having realized where the story was going.

"Precisely." Tanuma nodded. "To this day, quirked animals and quirked animal parts are among the most desired items on black markets, and the most expensive.

But there was a problem. Handling an animal with a quirk is different than regular animals. They are harder to capture, more difficult to tend to; some required specialized equipment just to be kept in captivity! No gang had the resources to go after them alone. They had to work together."

"A couple of gangs in China decided to join forces. Together, they created a monopoly of selling quirked animals and quirked animal parts on top of their regular poaching, gaining power at an astounding rate. Back then the craze about quirks was even more substantial than it is now. Quirked animals, in particular, were the subjects of quite the attention from the public, everyone was looking for them. It was thanks for that demand and the fact that the unified gang was the only provider, that in less than a decade, the entirety of the poaching market in China was under their thumb."

"They called themselves the Tōu Liè Zhě, the 'poachers' as if they owned the very definition of the word. After that, they expanded, establishing branches in multiple countries. And now, here we are." Tanuma finished the tale, taking a deep breath of air.

They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, Tanuma was taking a smoke and Tsukauchi reeling from the truth he had just learned.

"Welp, on that sobering note, I'm going off to get some coffee, want some too?"

The novice detective looked into his mug. It was empty. "Sure, I think I need it. Maybe my first case will come in soon. That'll help me to get this off my mind…"

* * *

The leader of the Japanese branch of the Tōu Liè Zhě sat in his office, staring at a screen. He clenched his fists from underneath the desk, trying to keep a neutral expression and mask away any sign of apprehension and nervousness.

He was antsy and restless, eager to continue with his plan. That boy was what he waited for for years, an opportunity of a lifetime. Unfortunately, he also had to keep up appearances, as they were just as important to the plan as the boy.

The man was participating in a video conference. On his screen appeared the faces of the various branch leaders of the Tōu Liè Zhě organization, two dozen in number. He watched on with a frown as the leader of the Hindi branch continued to list off the many gains he and his branch managed to reap.

"Thank you, Nabu." A gentle voice spoke in Mandarin. She was an elder Chinese woman, reaching her seventies in age. Her dark hair was tight and well-groomed, held in a bun on the back of her head.  
A cub of tea rested on her desk, vapors gently flowing out of it.  
At first glance, she could've passed off as a harmless grandma with a face that was always locked in a polite smile.

None of the people in the conference thought so.

"You know how to continue from here. Contact your handlers and have them transport the merchandise into my branch's care."

"O-of course, Madame Gao." Nabu bowed to the woman, speaking in Hindi.

"Now, then…" Madame Gao, leader of the Chinese branch of the Tōu Liè Zhě, turned to look directly at him, "Shuzumu, please report the progress you have made in Japan."

The Japanese leader took a deep breath and straightened his hair before speaking, "Security-wise, we couldn't hope to be in a better place. Our facilities remain unnoticed and our presence is so well concealed that our operatives are capable of walking in broad daylight without being compromised. In ad-"

"That is all well and good, Shuzumu." Madame Gao cut him off and the man had to bite his tongue to not curse out loud, "But I asked for progress, not for what we already know."

"Very well, Madame Gao." Shuzumu sighed, "Unfortunately, I can't report on many gains in terms of acquiring new wares. Our resources are almost depleted, and I can't risk initiating any large-scale operations in fear of bankruptcy. That is why I ask for yours, as well as the other branches', aid in order to restore the Japanese branch into economic stability."

The smile on Madame Gao's face disappeared, replaced with a stoic frown as she eyed the younger man.  
"I'm afraid that is not how our organization works, Shuzumu... We might all bare the same name, but we are not all united under the same flag.  
Every one of the branches is its own organization in and of itself. The Tōu Liè Zhě is merely an alliance between different organizations; an agreement to stay out of each other's way and a means of creating false information to feed to law enforcement.  
One's gain here does not equate to everyone's gain."

Shuzumu wanted to scoff. _'Sure, that's maybe what's written on the goddamned paper. But we both know you run this show. Everyone's gain here is **your** gain.'_

"I am well aware, Madame Gao. But I believe that helping the Japanese branch could have a positive effect on all the other branches." Shzumu persisted, not missing the detail that some of the other branch leaders chuckled.

"Japanese law enforcement has never encountered Tōu Liè Zhě tactics!  
We could use all those resources it would take to throw them off our trail towards expansion!  
If we had the resources, my branch could organize massive operations one after the other without the police and heroes figuring out wh-"

"ENOUGH!" Madame Gao yelled and Shuzumu fell silent. The elder woman shook her head, "Shuzumu, I don't believe I ever told you this story…"

"There was a snake, in the village where I was raised…who mistook an elephant as prey. It died… with its jaws wide… clenched around no more than the elephant's foot, betrayed by ambition." She took a sip from her tea slowly, sighing when she was done, and then stared into Shuzumu's eyes, challenging him to refute her.

"You have failed to mention a few details in your little sales pitch, Shuzumu... Whether you forgot to, or deliberately did so is something only you know. Let us start with the obvious, your branch's output."

"Tsk!"

"Over the last seven years not only had your branch had the lowest amount of merchandise go into circulation by sheer numbers but also compared to the amount of manpower you had available.

In the last three years, in particular, things have gotten worse in terms of production. Most of your exports have been low-quality parts that came from sick and injured animals, having a minuscule worth compared to that of those who came from healthy ones. All of **that** atop the fact that your expenses have only risen in that time, even overtaking other branches, all of whom have higher turnout than **your branch**."

" _And that's without mentioning that Ussuri Bear you let escape._ " A bearded man with slicked-back black hair whispered-yelled in a Russian accent, garnering a few chuckles from the other leaders.

_'Damn that Kraven!'_ Shuzumu cursed the man in his mind.

Madame Gao ignored him. "And, of course, there is the **All Might** problem."

Everyone in the room fell silent.

"That man alone is responsible for the collapse and subsequent arrests of more than fifty different criminal organizations in Japan and the United States.  
The Tōu Liè Zhě has been lucky enough to remain under his radar up until now, thanks to his lack of presence in the Asian mainland, but **you** operate right in his territory.

If you were to make the slightest mistake around him, All Might will lock his sights on us. There would be no telling how much damage he could do.  
And you want to **expand** further into Japan?  
Risking our discovery to him?"

"Where are you going with all of this?" Shuzumu asked, "All of us are aware of what you said."

Madame Gao shook her head as if she was disappointed with her grandchild. "What I am trying to say is that you are like that snake in my story. Your delusions and fantasies may be grand, boy. But you are in no position of power, nor do you have any card of worth up your sleeve.  
I hope I don't have to repeat my story for you to remember how it ends.

For both the snake and you."

With that, she cut the feed and the screen went dark.

The meeting was over.

"That old cunt…" Shuzumu cursed once he was sure the computer was off; you could never be too careful with these guys.

"I take it the meeting went about as well as ever." A voice could be heard from the other side of the door.  
Shuzumu didn't even bother to say, 'Come in', Tekubi already opened the door, knowing that his boss wasn't a man of formalities.

"I swear if the sea of China wasn't separating us she would've already been turned into a sizzling corpse!" Shuzumu grumbled before taking a deep sigh to calm himself. "That doesn't matter. For now, they are clueless as to what we are planning, that's all that matters."

"Speaking of the plan, I came to ask you something." Upon getting a nod from Shuzumu, Tekubi continued, "We are already at full capacity in the corrals. And now that the brat is here, I doubt we could stand the influx of new animals once it starts flowing. What are we going to do with the animals we have?"

"I took care of that," Shuzumu replied, "I already found some buyers away from the Tōu Liè Zhě's territory in America and Africa. Once the brat starts to cooperate, we will sell off all the animals we already have and amass a small fortune."

_'We will use it to upgrade our facilities as we continue to exploit those tunnels for all their worth. Even if only a **quarter** of what the survivor told us is true; then by the end of the year, we would have **hundreds** of quirked animals in our grasp. We could start taking over the other branches of the Tōu Liè Zhě, buying off their loyalty or sending others to eliminate them, one by one.'_

_'_ _And once that cunt has seen her entire empire shrivel up and die…'_

_'_ _We are coming for her.'_

* * *

***Inhale...***

***...Exhale***

Izuku breathed in and out, focusing on the metal around him. He stomped his foot and pounded his palms against the walls, shaking the metallic plates that made his prison. Closing his eyes, the boy felt the vibrations of the metal through his fingers, trying his hardest to grasp at it.

But he felt nothing.

It wasn't like the first time. When his mind was in disarray and he felt his heart ready to explode, he felt the same as when he used his quirk. The vibrations allowed him to visualize his surroundings. They coursed through his body like electricity through a cable. He managed to **move** the metal, bending the plates just the tiniest bit.

Now the vibrations stopped in his palms, like what you felt when you stood on a wooden floor whilst loud music was playing.  
The metal remained strong and unmoving in the face of his attempts, the clanks of his fist against it sounding like a mocking laugh.

He was so excited at first, not only at the new possible aspect of his quirk but mainly for the chance to get away and find Chima. Now the excitement became desperation. _'Please... This is gotta work!'_ The boy pleaded, his lower lip quivering and tears stains, fresh and old, adoring his cheeks.

***BAM! ***

He tried again, ramming the back of his hands against the wall. At first, he didn't feel anything, the metal didn't react to his attempts and merely remained as it was. But just then, he felt the tiniest speck react to his pleads. An area below his right hand, smaller than a grain of sand, reacted. Izuku could feel the vibrations from there clearly. They traveled through his body the same way as earthen vibrations did.

Despite the darkness, hope shone in his eyes.

He stroked that area again. Feeling equal parts relief and equal parts joy when he felt that the patch of metal reacted to him.  
It was accompanied by something else. The boy could pick up another patch of earth, about the same size as the first. It was a few ways to the boy's right so that his hands weren't directly above it, but he could feel it nonetheless.

It pulsed when the vibrations had coursed through it, giving off a signal like a cell site. That signal was then caught by the patch below Izuku's hand, which then was picked up by the boy. It felt a bit weird to read. It traveled through a none-earthen surface but there was no mistaking that the place from which the signal came from was earthen, something that Izuku could control.

So he pounded again against the wall. And again, and again and again. With each strike, the boy found more and more patches of earthen material within the walls.

They were impurities within the metal. Numerous as grains of sands on a beach however infinitely times smaller. They covered every square centimeter of the wall, acting as receptors and distributers of the vibrations the boy sent through them.

Those vibrations coursed from one impure dot to the next, creating a pathway for the boy to read in the darkness. He now felt where the walls were, could tell how high the ceiling was, and could see the amount of damage he previously did to the wall without touching the dent itself!

He was ready.

Izuku curled his fingers and focused on reaching out to the impure dots in the wall instead of the metal itself. His grasp slowly spread out, one earth patch after the other came under his control.

***Inhale...***

***BAM! ***

He slammed his bare foot against the metal floor, getting one last image of the wall before he exhaled and made his move, _'Please... Move!'  
_ The boy thrust his hands against the metal.

***BAM! ***

The hands pushed against the wall, forcing the impurities within it to move with them. The metal caved in, dragged outwards like a marionette after the patches of earth Izuku bent.

The boy pressed a hand against his handy work. The dent in the wall grew larger and its thickness had been just the tiniest bit thinner.

He smiled before punching the wall again.

* * *

"You know, it's actually pretty cute." Mukankei stared at the rabbit in the cage, the animal backing away from the man. "Think I can keep it if I ask?"

"*Pfffttt...!* Hahahahaha!" Detarame burst out laughing. "Yeah, like you could just take away merchandise and keep it as a pet!"

"Than what if I buy it?" He put a hand into the cage, reaching towards the rabbit.

"With what money?" Detarame deadpanned. "You know how expansive is an alive quirked animal without any maims?! That bunny probably costs a house! Probably even more if its quirk is strong!"

"First of all, it's a rabbit." Mukankei corrected, "Secondly, it just got long ears. Wouldn't exactly call that a 'strong' quirk. I mean look at it! Does it look like it could hurt a fly?" It was at this point that the man's hand was inches away from the rabbit's head, intending to pet it.

The rabbit, however, had other plans.

***Crunch! ***

"GAH! SON OF A BITCH!" Mukankei cursed aloud and pulled his hand away, inspecting the bleeding bite mark the rabbit left on his hand.

"GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Detarame laughed, " Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the poacher of the century, right here!" He gestured to Mukankei.

"Sure, laugh it up," Mukankei grumbled, "Stupid rab-"

***BBBAAAAMMMMMM!***

Just then, yet another pound was heard from the metallic prison, cutting off Mukankei's rabbit cursing. "Uggghhhh..." He groaned, " Really?! This is getting annoying!"

Fed up, Detarame walked towards the cell and slammed his fist against the metallic wall, "Oi, brat! Shut it! I had enough of this, you hear?!"

He got no response.

A tick mark appeared on Detarame's head and he pounded on the cell's wall again, "When I ask you something you answer brat! NOW ANSWER!"

Again, the boy remained silent.

"That's it!" Detarame yelled, starting to walk around the cell towards the door. "I had enough of your shit, brat! If you think you can do what you want here than I-"

It was at this point that Detarame made it around to the other side of the cell, where the door should've been. Instead, he found a huge gash there, cutting through the wall; metal chains and cuffs rested on the floor, broken as if All Might himself ripped them apart. The man's eyes bulged. "What?! How did he-". He darted his head from left to right, trying to find the escaped kid, only to see an earthen fist headed straight towards his face.

"Grah!" Detarame yowled as he went sailing through the air, crashing into a pile of wooden crates and sending broken planks everywhere. "The brat's got out! Sound the alarm!"

Mukankei took off towards the red lever on the wall, almost tripping in his haste. But before he managed to reach out for it, a wall of earth had risen diagonally from the ground, blocking his path.

The wall stretched across half of the room, separating Mukankei from the lever and ensuring no one would know about what was happening. Mukankei turned right and saw the green-haired boy they brought in, standing near where the wall began. The kid glared at him, body locked in a rooted stance and gauntlets of earth covering his forearms.

The boy stomped on the concrete floor, lifting chunks of earth into the air and launching them at the poacher.

Mukankei jumped to the side, his balance woozy and clearly not that of a trained fighter. Despite this, he remained on his feet and managed to sheath the taser from its holster. He aimed the organization's most common weapon at the boy and fired.

The kid crossed his arms together, shielding his chest and head as the metallic tip of the cable poked into his gauntlets, not making it all the way through. Before Mukankei got the chance to recall the cable, the boy yanked at it with all of his strength, powered further by the earth covering his arms. The plastic arms got pulled out of the poacher's hands, getting caught by the green-haired boy.

Mukankei gasped in surprise as he saw the getting crushed in the boy's earth-covered hand, folding into itself like paper.

The quirkless man now stood unarmed, clearly outmatched in both power and skill.

"Where. Is. Chima!?" The boy demanded, scowling at Mukankei.

From the corner of his eye, Mukankei could see Detarame silently getting up, trying to not alert the boy. The man trode carefully between the wooden splinters decorating the floor.  
Not an easy task when you were as clumsy as he is.

Mukankei needed to buy time, so he decided to humor the boy's question. "Chima? You mean the quirked Badger we brought with you? It's somewhere in the facility, probably in the corrals downstairs with the other animals."

"Where are the corrals?! How do I get there?!" The boy demanded, seemingly not aware of Detarame who was closing on him from behind.

"I see no reason to tell you," Mukankei smirked as he saw Detarame right behind the boy, knuckledusters equipped and ready to strike the boy down. "Take him down!" Detarame put all he had into the punch, pouncing on the boy and preparing to assault him with all of his weight.

The boy sidestepped the attack as if he knew all along that Detarame was behind him. Overextended and in midair, Detarame was unable to protect himself as an earth column nailed him in the gut. He was launched forward, crashing into Mukankei and causing them both to tumble and roll on the ground.

Before the two could get up, they felt the ground beneath them shift and contort. It climbed up their bodies and limbs like a swarm of ants, encasing their bodies. Before they knew it, both were trapped in earthen prisons; only their heads had not been buried.

"HELP!" Mukankei yelled out, hoping someone would hear him. "THE BRAT HAS ESCAPED, WE NEED REINFORCE-"

Anything else Mukankei wanted to say would have to remain unsaid as the greenette locked earth cuffs around their heads, covering their mouths and gagging them.  
Making sure that the gags would hold, Izuku waited apprehensively to see if someone heard the guards' cries.

Breathing a sigh of relief when no one came, Izuku plopped to the floor and panted heavily, coming down from the adrenaline high.  
 _'At least I know Chima's in the building,'_ he consoled himself as he shed the earth gauntlets. _'Hopefully, the other animals are here too... But where are they?'_

Izuku got up and took a deep breath, ignoring the two men who tried futilely to take off their gags. The boy stomped on the ground as hard as he could, focusing his entire being into his seismic sense, trying to reach as far as he could.

What he felt almost made his jaw drop. The facility he was in was **huge**. Reaching several floors below the surface; so deep that the lowest one was out of his reach.  
The boy himself was found above ground, in a warehouse at the edge of the building. Past the metal gates that were to his left the outside world could be found. To his right was the way deeper into the facility.

He knew where he was going. Either he leaves with Chima or he won't leave at all.

**"*Squeak!*"**

Izuku jolted when he heard the high-pitched squeak coming from seemingly nowhere. Darting around and ready to throw a rock at an enemy, he found himself face to face with a black and white Lop-eared rabbit. The small quadruped was leaning against the cage's walls on his frontal paws, looking at Izuku with hopeful eyes. It let out another squeak and the boy let out a relieved sign before approaching the cage.

"They caught you too?" Izuku asked as he approached the cage. The small rabbit not backing away from him. Gripping at the bars, the boy closed his eyes and concentrated on the metal. To the shock of the gagged guards, the metal began to creak and groan as it was bent by the boy, creating an exit large enough for the rabbit.

**"*Squeak!*"**

The rabbit let out a joyful squeal as it jumped out of the cage and at the boy. Izuku caught it, laughing as the small creatures snuggled into his chest before widening his eyes when the rabbit's long ears curled around his back. _'I never saw a Lop-eared rabbit like this before... Is it another quirk?'_

Deciding that now wasn't the time, Izuku plopped the rabbit back down and walked towards the wall that separated the building from the outside. The rabbit wasn't far behind him, watching as he opened a small hole in the wall with his quirk, "Go ahead, you can't stay here." Izuku told the rabbit.

It looked at Izuku with its big eyes for a moment, before going into the hole and escaping outside. The boy watched over the rabbit until it disappeared into the night, wondering if they would meet again.

Glancing one last time towards freedom, Izuku turned back and went deeper into the building, Chima awaiting him somewhere within it.

* * *

**Lop-eared rabbit**

**Quirk:** **?**

**Description: Not much is known about the Lop-eared rabbit's quirk. All that is known is that the rabbit controls its ears with rather impressive dexterity.**

**Appearance: The Lop-eared rabbit is a small black &white quadruped. Its fur is mostly white, with distinguishing patches of black fur around one of its eyes and on its back which fades to gray around the edges. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a normal rabbit with a body and tail to match. The key differences between this rabbit and a normal one are that the Lop-eared rabbit has a slightly chubbier face as well as ears that are longer than it's body.**

**Affiliation:?**

**Age:?**

**Birthday:?**

**Length: 27 cm.**

**Favorite food:?**

**Favorite thing:?**

**Tidbit:**

**?**


	13. Book 1 chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The following contains content some audience might find disturbing. Imagery such as gore and animal cruelty are present here. If you can't stomach these topics, your discretion is advised.
> 
> Finally here to publish part four of the book 1 finale! (This is not the final chapter in book one, expect an epilogue sometime in the future).
> 
> Legend:
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> 'thoughts'(Tilted).
> 
> Narration(underlined)
> 
> ^Flashback^
> 
> *SFX*
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko, and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.
> 
> A big shoutout to Earl John Diawatan for editing/beta-reading!  
> It is thanks to him, as well as your criticisms, that I can improve.
> 
> Also! Since it's been so long, I thought you might need a reminder:
> 
> Tekubi Jū = Wrist gun villian.
> 
> Aruku Kūki = Fat flying villain.
> 
> Shuzumu = The leader.
> 
> Have a Happy New year!

* * *

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER TWELVE:

**ORIGINAL EARTHBENDERS, PART 4:**

**BATTLE OF THE BEASTS**

* * *

Izuku made his way through the Tōu Liè Zhě base, walking through corridors that seemed to stretch on forever.  
They took sharp turns often, sometimes converging into each other for no apparent reason, creating a labyrinth for any outsider or intruder.  
He had no true idea of where he should go, only that he could find Chima somewhere at the base's bottom levels.

If not for his seismic sense, he would have been caught already as numerous members of the poaching organization were darting about none stop, carrying out their duties.  
He was forced to make multiple detours because of that; hiding behind corners and sometimes even being forced to climb to a higher floor, slowing his progress towards his goal.

Currently, he was hiding behind such a corner, listening in on a dull conversation of a few poachers and waiting for them to go on.

He had to will his feet to remain frozen in place, using way more mental constitution than should be necessary to avoid tapping the ground. His hand was covering his mouth, muffling his hard panting.

It was probably late into the night by now, much later than the time he usually went to bed. Despite this, he didn't feel tired at all. The opposite in fact.  
He never felt antsier than he did now, his heartbeat drumming against his ribcage and his instincts on overdrive.

Finally, the men moved on and Izuku stopped himself from heaving a big sigh of relief. He moved around the corner and continued, using his seismic sense to determine the way down.

When he finally made it to the lowest floor, his first impression was that it looked different than the other ones. The corridors' walls were still a dirty white, the paint peeling off and the floor was just as dirty; painting his feet black after he walked on it barefooted for so long.  
The only real difference he could pick up on was that the lowest floor was probably the smelliest one by far. It reeked of spoiled meat, rotten vegetables, and animal feces, a deadly combination that caused the boy to hide his nose beneath his shirt.

It almost reminded him of the natural odor of the caverns, with one key difference. Unlike the caverns, which were brimming with life, this place smelt almost dead, as if whatever lived here was left suspended on the brink; forced to never cross the border but at the same time being pressed against it.

Izuku gritted his teeth together as he followed the abominable scent. He continued down the hallways, knowing the scent will lead him to what he was looking for.

Something he would've preferred to go his entire life without seeing.

Izuku found himself at the edge of the far most hallway on the floor, gaping at the sight with an expression that could pass as the epitome of revulsion.

The narrow corridor ended in a balcony, looking over an open space that could've acted as a hangar for the largest of planes. Cages were built into the walls on the boy's right and left, appearing no different than prison cells. A massive crane was mounted on the ceiling, more than likely responsible for moving cages and supplies through the underground facility.  
Two levels of catwalks had enabled access to the cages on the walls. They were connected to the balcony Izuku stood on with even more metal bridges. Every cage was filled to the brim with different animals, almost all of whom Izuku saw before in the caverns.

On the upper level, he could see Singing Groundhogs, Badgerfrogs, and Lop-eared rabbits held in portable cages as at least ten men were spraying water into the built-in cages with hoses. A bit lower in the middle level, he could spot Catgators and Wolfbats crammed together like sardines, barely having enough room to move.

The boy had to squint to see what was in the third and lowest level, making sure his head was low so that he wasn't spotted. The entire bottom floor was littered with different crates of various sizes, ranging from big to small, and holding things Izuku probably couldn't even name. The largest cages in the facility were also there, embedded into the metal walls. Their cold metallic sheen almost mocking, taunting Izuku about his situation. Through the bars of some of the cages, Izuku could spot the trademark brown and black fur of Shirshu. They were all backed into the wall as much as they could, staying quiet as to not draw the poachers' attention.

He didn't see Chima, but he did find that there were three large metal containers at the far reaches of the lowest floor, just like the one that used to hold him.

 _'That's where Chima is!'_ The boy realized, prepared to sneak through the catwalks undetected and making it down.

***WHEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ***

_'What?'_ Izuku's heart dropped when suddenly the wail of a siren screamed throughout the entire base, startling many of the poor animals.

 **"THE KID HAS ESCAPED!"** The boy heard the voice of the chubby man who captured him boom out, **"HE'S IN THE PENS!"**

 _'How did they find me?'_ Izuku panicked, darting his head from left to right. _'I kept away from them all! If someone was close, I would've felt it!'_ The boy looked behind him and suddenly, he knew how.

Aruku was levitating on the other side of the corridor, talking into his communicator and his hand pressing on an alarm lever.

* * *

The forest at night was no safe place for a rabbit to be in, quirked, or otherwise. Predators such as snakes and birds of prey wouldn't miss a chance for a potential meal, leaving the poor Lop-eared rabbit on high alert at all times.

After escaping the base, the small rodent ran through the forest as fast as she could, making sure to stay under the shade of trees and away from any burrows.  
With her long ears flapping behind her, the rabbit was guided by her nose towards the tunnel system, where she would be safe.

There was only one problem.

To enter the cave and escape she had to go through the clearing, an area under the constant watch of the Tōu Liè Zhě. One wrong move and the humans would capture her again, sending her to their facility.

She hid in one of the bushes at the edge of the clearing, looking at the cave at its edge in longing.  
While no human, or anything for that matter, were seen in the clearing itself, the rabbit knew better than to just waltz through. That's what got her captured in the first place; causing her to end up in the sweaty hands of a poacher and shoved forcefully into a reeking cage.

So she circled the clearing, instead. Hiding in a bush before going on to hide in the next one, slowly closing in on the cave's entrance.

She looked at her next hiding place. A large bush, easily capable of hiding her and an ideal place for her to catch her breath before moving on.  
Looking around just to make sure, the Lop-eared rabbit bounced from her cover and dove into the hiding place, appearing as just a black & white streak to anyone who might've seen her.

"Huh? What was that?"

The rabbit's small heart sank when she heard a human speaking above her. She shook in place, slowly looking up to see one of the poachers staring her down, both of his eyebrows raised in surprise.

They stayed silent for a couple of seconds, one too surprised to move while the other was paralyzed with fear.

***JUMP! ***

It was the rabbit who got ahold of her senses first, bolting it out into the clearing in panic and heading towards the cave, kicking off crushed leaves from the ground in her haste.

"I FOUND ONE!" The man she ran away from yelled out, causing multiple heads to perk up from behind cover. "IT'S IN THE CLEARING NOW!"

The area around the rabbit suddenly got illuminated by a white, blinding light. She accelerated even further, trying to shake off the spotlight off her. The men began shooting nets at the rabbit, forcing her to zigzag from left to right to dodge.

"YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY!" One of the men yelled out and gave chase to her by foot, tired of missing with the nets. He intercepted the rabbit in her path, tackling her and grasping her small body in his hands.

The small rodent squirmed, trying to free herself but the difference in strength was too much. In an act of desperation, the rabbit clenched the muscles in her ears and slapped the man's face with them, the sound of impact audible from afar.

"Gah! Fuck!"

With his grip now loose, the small rabbit broke free and bolted, passing under the cave's entrance in just a few seconds.

"IT'S NOT GETTING AWAY!" The man who had the rabbit in his hands barked, running after it.

"STOP!" One of the poachers behind him called out, "DON'T GO IN THERE, YOU'LL DIE!"

The man didn't heed the warning and entered the cave. With his flashlight always pointed at the fleeing rabbit, he paid no mind to any of the turns they made, focused solely on the small creature.

"GOTCHA!" The man yelled out, bouncing forward and dropping the flashlight. He caught the rabbit again, this time making sure that her ears were secure and pressed against the ground.  
The flashlight flopped to the floor and rolled away, now pointing at a random granite wall. The poacher and rabbit were cast into complete darkness; the weight of the poacher almost crushing her.

The poor rodent shivered in fear, frustrated tears in her eyes.

They got her.

"Hehe… Thought you could get away, did ya?" The poacher chuckled, unaware of the fact he was lost in the tunnels.

Nor of what was in front of him.

***Huff… ***

The poacher felt a gust of warm air hit his face. Surprised, he raised a brow. He looked around him, finding the flashlight he dropped pointed at one of the walls. The man took it and pointed it to his front, illumining the space.

He found himself staring into a pair of milky white eyes, surrounded by a patch of white fur in the shape of a domino mask.

* * *

"Don't make this hard on yourself, kid. Put your hands in the air and give up." Aruku demanded, his taser aimed directly at Izuku's chest.

Izuku complied, raising his arms above his head with a frown on his face. He turned his head from side to side, assessing his surroundings.  
The boy stood at the balcony overlooking the pens, a metal railing behind him, and catwalks starting to his right and left. The metal bridges continued straight until they reached the walls of the hanger-like structure, stretching across them. Ladders were installed into the catwalks that were attached to the walls, leading to the other levels of the pens.

A dozen or so poachers were positioned across the facility, all of whom looked at Izuku. For now, they were quite far from the boy, standing still and watching the scene unfold.

The balcony was connected to a long and wide hallway, many other corridors "flowing" into it. Aruku was currently the only man there, but Izuku could already feel the stampede of poachers coming their way. In less than a minute he would be surrounded, a little boy against hundreds of adult poachers.

 _'Why was I so **stupid**?'_ He berated himself, _' There was no way they wouldn't find me! I can't fight them all by myself!'_ He looked at all the animals held in cages, silently asking for forgiveness for not rescuing them.

 _'I… can't fight them…_ _all by_ ** _myself_** _…'_ The boy's eyes widened when he got an idea.

"Oi! What are you looking at, brat?!" A new voice called out from the hallway. The boy jumped, startled, before turning towards the voice.

Two poachers made it here already. Tekubi Jū stood at Aruku's side, a frown on his face and wrists already pointed at the boy's stomach, ready to shoot him.

**(Song start: My Hero Academia – Iron Battle)**

Next to him was another man, one the boy wasn't familiar with. He was a large man with a shaved head and muscles as wide as Izuku's whole body; his skin was unhealthy and was littered in rashes, making Izuku feel his skin itch just by looking at it.  
Pants were the only article he wore; as if the poachers didn't have one of their brown jackets for someone his size, exposing even more of his nasty-looking skin. The man stared the boy down with a grin that caused Izuku to shudder, reminding him too much of the Ussuri bear he encountered on the day he met Chima.

"Nowhere to run, brat." Jū told the boy, "Should've escaped when you had the chance, cause we won't make the same mistake again."

Izuku turned to look behind him, looking at the poachers on the catwalks. They were still watching, not moving too close in on him.

.

.

.

With his hands still raised, Izuku stomped the ground as fast as he could, erecting an earth column between himself and the three men.

The sudden action prompted the poachers into gear. Startled, both Aruku and Jū fired at him at once, almost managing to hit Izuku if the column he constructed hadn't saved him in the last second.

"Rrrggghhh! Fucking brat!" Jū cursed when his gaze locked on the onlookers in the pens. "What are you waiting for, fools?! Get up here!"

As if broken out of a trance, the men shook their heads. Those who were on the same level as the boy headed towards the balcony while the others on the lower levels went for the ladders.

Izuku himself hid behind the column he made, his back pressed against it. The boy pressed his hands against the concrete floor, curling his fingers and breaking the earth into pieces; The shards adhered to all four of Izuku's limbs, equipping him with his trademarked Earth Gauntlets as well as a pair of concrete boots.

"Step back, you two." The bald man stepped forward, now standing in front of Aruku and Jū. Jumping forward and with a maniacal smile, the man struck the earth column, shattering it and hitting Izuku in the back.

"Gah!" The boy cried out, sent flying into the railing, his chest hitting it.

Dazed for just a moment, Izuku got a good look at the pens before Jū's voice snapped him back to reality. "Good job! Now move aside so we can hit him!"

The boy bolted it to the right catwalk, where he saw the least poachers. The concrete floor of the balcony gave way to metal, his earthen boots clanking against it.

"After him, he's heading for the ladders!" Jū called out, running after the boy with the bald man right behind him. Aruku followed as well, levitating slowly in their direction.

Izuku reached the right wall without anyone getting in his way. He ran on the catwalk that stretched across it. His gaze lingering on the small animals for just a moment before moving on.

He would come for them later.

'Almost there…', the ladder was just a few steps ahead of him now, almost within reach.

"BOO!"

"Ah!" Izuku yelled, backing away from the ladder and the man who was climbing it.

"Hehehe…" The poacher chuckled, standing between Izuku and the ladder. The poachers were closing in on the boy; Jū, Aruku, and the bald man almost upon him from the left.

"Out of the way!" Izuku barked, pouncing on the man and punching him in the face. Sent flying and face caved in, the poacher could do nothing to stop the boy from going down the ladder. The boy went down the ladder as fast as he could, jumping off a few rungs early and landing on the catwalk of the middle level.

He quickly scanned through the different cages, heaving a sigh of relief upon finding what he was looking for.

'There!'

**(Song end)**

The cage held about a dozen Wolfbats, all of whom were of a relatively healthy state. They look at the boy apprehensively, as if fearing he was one of the poachers.

"Don't worry…" Izuku soothed, "I'm here to help…". He clutched two of the cage's bars with his hands, reaching for the earth within them. Izuku pulled against the bars with all the strength he had, using the new skill he had acquired. It took a few seconds longer than Izuku was comfortable with, but the bars eventually did get bent away from one another, leaving behind a hole large enough for the Wolfbats to escape. "…But I need your help to rescue everyone, can you do it?"

For a moment, the Wolfbats all stayed there in silence, staring at the boy. Then, at once, all twelve of them flew through the hole and into the open air. Shrieking loudly, the Wolfbats cried in the triumph of being set free before they began to dive down, tackling into the poachers.

Every animal in captivity perked up as soon as the first Wolfbat shrieked. They all howled together as the Wolfbats dove to attack, cheering the flying creatures on.

"GGGGAAAAHHHHHH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" A poacher yelled as a Wolfbat was busy attacking, clawing, and biting his face.

Another Wolfbat stayed on the ground and attacked from below. He ran between and under the feet of the poachers around him, biting into any poacher unfortunate enough to be in his way, leaving behind ripped clothing and bleeding gashes.  
"GGGAAAHHHHH!" A poacher screamed as the Wolfbat bit into his calve, refusing to let go.

Izuku repeated this process four to five times on the second level, releasing more animals to help fight the poachers. He made sure to release only the animals fit to fight, leaving the injured and crippled in relative safety.

It was at this point that the first influx of poachers made it into the corrals, stumbling onto hell on earth once they entered.

Wolfbats were everywhere, flying in a swarm. They had dived onto the sea of poachers, biting and clawing at their heads before flying off to find the next target.  
The bravest of those creatures didn't stop there, they clung on the poacher's head once they landed, staying there to inflict pain for as long as possible.

A small battalion of Catgators swarmed the second level of catwalks, protecting Izuku as he opened more and more cages. The trio that was after him from the beginning was currently fending off a group of them, not making any headway in bursting through.

"There! Now go!" Izuku had opened yet another cage, letting loose a flock of Wolfbats into the fight. He stopped for a second to look where things were at the moment, eyes scanning the battlefield.  
His efforts weren't enough. While the animals he released thus far were putting up a valiant effort, the sheer number of poachers swarming into the corrals began to overwhelm them.

The Wolfbats could only target one man at a time, leaving them useless against a group that dwarfed them in numbers. The Catgators were also being pushed back, unable to handle all the men.

Izuku peered into the other side of the room, where an identical wall of cages was located. He couldn't get there now. A horde of poachers was blocking his way there, being halted from reaching him only by the small Catgator army.

But the Catgators weren't enough to win, and Izuku knew it.

That left only one option. He had to get the heavy hitters; because if quantity wouldn't win this battle, then he would need to rely on quality.

He peered over the edge of the catwalks towards the third, and lowest, level of the pens. The Shirshu were still in their cages, clawing fruitlessly at their cage's bars. Izuku then looked around himself, there was no ladder in reach.

The boy took a deep breath, knowing what he had to do. Grasping the rails of the catwalk, Izuku vaulted over them, jumping down to the bottom floor.

He landed on a pile of wooden creates feet first, smashing them apart.

"Uggghhhh…" Izuku groaned as he climbed out of the ruins, looking up to see only a few noticed him jump. They were struggling to reach the ladders in the commotion, their shouts muffled by the uproar of the fight.

Wasting no time, he made his way to one of the cages holding the Shirshu, having a first proper look at them. Much like all the other animals here, they were extremely malnourished, appearing much weaker than their healthy and free brethren.  
The poachers had also installed muzzles on all of them, not allowing the Shirshu to open their mouths.

Probably so they couldn't whip their toxic tongue at them.

Opening the cage as he did for all the other animals, Izuku then walked slowly into the cell and extended a gentle hand. "I'm going to take that muzzle off of you, hold still…" Using his new skill, Izuku severed the metal chains holding the muzzle together, freeing the Shirshu. The smallest one nuzzled into him in gratitude, enticing a small giggle out. "Think you can help us?"

In response, one of the Shirshu in the cage whipped its tongue in Izuku's direction.

"Whoa!" Acting quick, the boy ducked; dodging the tongue that went on to hit a poacher that was sneaking on them.

"T-thanks!" Izuku stuttered out, hand over his heart.

He released the rest of the Shirshu from their cages easily enough, letting the large beasts deal with the trickle of poachers making it to the third level while he worked.  
After he finished, he let his focus shift to the trio of container-like cells at the very back of the room.

"Chima…"

Trusting the Shirshu to keep putting up a good fight, Izuku sprinted forward with nothing to hold him back, his friend almost in reach...

***Bbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...***

...Only to be stopped by a sound he knew all too well…

He didn't like that buzzing sound. Not at all.

Acting on pure instinct, Izuku raised an earth column to his right with a light stomp of his foot, blocking the projectile aimed at him in the last second.

Looking up, he saw two of his least favorite people in the world.

Tekubi Jū and Aruku Kūki stared him down from the second level, taser, and wrist-gun ready and aimed. They both jumped down to meet him and block his way, the latter of whom levitating gently while the former landing on his feet with a small thud.

"You caused quite the ruckus here, brat." Jū glared, cracking his knuckles.

* * *

Shuzumu Honōmuchi was perhaps in the best mood he was ever in.

After sending Jū to the pens to do a commodity counting, he split off from the man. Now, the Japanese leader was walking at a brisk pace towards their main warehouse/loading bay. The place where they currently held the kid prisoner.

 _'It's all finally coming together!'_ Shuzumu hummed to himself a playful tune, _'By the time the sun rises, I'll be rid of the kid's disobedience! And then it's straight to work for him!'_

Shuzumu had finally completed the journey from his office to the warehouse, something that felt like it took an eternity with how anxious he was to get there. He opened the metal door that led inside, a hint of a smile on his face, "All right, Detarame! Mukankei! You two are free to go for now! I'll take care of the ki-"

Shuzumu stopped talking, a smiling expression frozen on his face.

The warehouse looked like a warzone. Multiple protrusions of earth specked the storing space, toppling some of the crates or even piercing through them. The two guards he left there were currently trapped in mounds of earth, thrashing violently and trying to get free, their mouths gagged.

The muscles in Shuzumu's face twitched and scrunched as his expression morphed into a furious scowl, **"What. Happened. Here?"**

***WHEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ***

Before he got the chance to un-gag the two and demand an explanation, the alarm suddenly went off, the siren echoing throughout the entire compound.

 **"THE KID HAS ESCAPED!"** He heard Aruku boom out, **"HE'S IN THE PENS!"**

 **"** **That fucking brat…!"** Both trapped men whimpered in fear as violent sparks began to crackle from Shuzumu's hands, forming miniature versions of his whips.

He didn't even bother to free them; turning around, Shuzumu dashed out of the room and towards the stairs. His face a crimson red and at least 20 of his veins threatening to pop.

* * *

"You just **had** to complicate things, didn't you?" Aruku grumbled, standing next to Jū and facing the boy that had caused them so much trouble, "Couldn't just sit around in the cell and do nothin'…"

Izuku glared at the two men, his body in a perfect stance. Both of his arms were angled like sickles, his knees bent, and legs astride.

The other two showed no such discipline in their stances, one of whom didn't even try. Instead, both aimed their ranged weapons at the boy, their posture unrefined, and fired.

Acting quickly, with rigid and precise movements, he shot a small rock into the air, blocking their attacks.

**(Song start: Avatar OST: YuYen)**

**"Tch!"**

Thrusting both of his arms in opposite sides, the poachers yelled out in surprise as two earth columns burst from under their feet, sending them flying in opposite directions.

"Gah!" Jū scrambled in midair, spinning without any control and crashing into the ground.

Aruku fared much better. Having been used to staying airborne; it didn't take much for him to reorient himself. Nor did it take much to re-aim his taser and fire at Izuku.

Shifting the ground from beneath his feet, Izuku slid to the side and dodged the attack, not appearing to have taken a single step. With deadly accuracy, Izuku sent a small cluster of rocks at Aruku, nailing him in the stomach and forcing him into a wall.

The fat man wheezed and held his stomach, flying higher and out of range for a chance to catch his breath.

"Goddamn it, Brat! Just give up already!" Even without the yell, Izuku knew the gun-wristed man got up and was ready to shoot him. He formed a barrier, blocking the multitude of bullets heading his way before sending the block of earth back at his attacker.

"Oh, you have **got** to be kidding me!" Jū grumbled, ducking to the side to avoid getting squashed. Turning back to face the kid, he widened his eyes when he no longer saw him.

"W-what?!" He gaped, confused, and on guard, "Where did h-?"

***Grab! ***

"WHAT THE-?!" Jū hollered when a felt something crawl up his legs. Looking down, he saw two grey concrete-covered hands grasping at his calves, sticking out of the ground like a zombie. Before he got the chance to fight back, the hands pulled him down, pushing his body into the earth as if it was quicksand.

"WHAT. THE. FUCK!?" The grey-haired man screamed; body buried neck-deep into the ground. Just next to his head, a hole was torn open in the floor, and out came Izuku, dusting off his torn and bloody shirt.

**(Song end: Avatar OST: YuYen)**

The kid ignored the buried man who was cussing at him with fervor, opting to focus on his other opponent.

Aruku came back down and was floating in the air in front of him, assessing his surroundings. The battle with the animals was still ongoing, the mustached crocodiles fighting on the second level; the giant star-shaped nosed quadrupeds fighting on the third, and the bats with the scary faces dive-bombing any target in sight.

Add to that the fact that Jū was trapped and it appeared it was just him against the boy.

 _'It's a repeat of the fight in the park!'_ Aruku greeted his teeth, remembering how that fight ended, _'I can't take him from afar, He'll just do what he did last time!'_

The fat man looked around him once again, seeing his fellow poachers, most of which held tasers in their hands or tucked in holsters against their waists.

He smirked, 'That'll work.'

He then looked down at the kid that caused so much trouble for them, "Last chance kid, give up and I'll go easy on ya!"

The kid only returned his gaze, his expression unwavering, "I'll only stop once all the animals are free! What you are doing is wrong! You are worse than any villain!"

Aruku merely shook his head at the boy's naïve and cliched speech, "Well, I did give you an out." The fat man fired his taser at the boy, smirking in victory when Izuku raised an arm and a slab of earth blocked the attack, _'Hook…'_

The fat man dove down towards the boy, letting gravity accelerate him past his quirk's limit, _'…line…'_

Izuku was still behind his barrier, having no reference to Aruku's position in the air. So when he peered around the slab of earth, only to find himself face to face with Aruku, he was completely caught off guard, _'…And sinker…'_

The fat man outstretched his hand forward, grasping Izuku's foot. The boy's eyes widened, surprised by the attack. He tried to jump back and gain distance, but that only worsened his situation. Aruku did not let go of him, and Izuku found himself falling to the ground, his back hitting it and almost losing his hold on the earth-appendages he wore, "Oooooofff!"

Smirking in victory, Aruku began ascending into the air, still holding onto the boy.

Izuku found himself suspended in midair, held upside-down by his foot. "Let me go!" He yelled at the grown man, his fists flailing futilely; trying to hit the man who held him.

"NOW!" Aruku yelled out, garnering the attention of multiple poachers, "SHOOT THE BRAT!"

The poachers didn't need to be told twice. All at once, at least a dozen poachers left their fight with the animals. Perked on the various catwalks of the pens, they all aimed their tasers at the forest-haired kid.

 _'Crap!'_ Gravity pulled down blood to Izuku's head as he overlooked the sight below him, _'We're too high up! I can't reach for enough earth from here fast enough!'_ He was almost ready to accept his fate, earth-covered fists already shielding his face when he got an idea.

"FIRE!"

All at once, at least a dozen metallic cables sailed through the air, all aimed at one target. But before any got to hit their marks, the target, alongside the man who held him, suddenly jerked to the side, narrowly dodging.

"Hey, what's the deal, man?" One of the poachers yelled, "I thought we were supposed to shoot him, right?!"

"It wasn't me!" Aruku yelled back, "What in the world happ-?" The fat man looked down at the boy, seeing him grinning in triumph despite his beet-red face. With a flick from Izuku's wrist, Aruku found himself and the boy hurtling uncontrollably through the air, now an unhittable target for his allies.

 _'It's the kid!'_ Aruku realized, looking at his earth-covered foot, _'He's using his quirk to push us both in the air!'_

"STOP IT BRAT!"

"NO!"

The two continued to jolt in the air, one trying desperately to keep them afloat and remain in control while the other pushing for the opposite. Refusing to let go, Aruku had to suffer as they both went around each other in circles, left and right, up and down, spinning like a merry-go-round.

"WILL YOU STOP THIS ALREEEAAADY?!" Aruku cried out as they both span around each other, struggling not to puke with how queasy he felt.

Izuku ignored his pleas. Instead, the boy was trying his hardest to get a hit on the fat man, only adding to the jumble of flailing limbs in the air that was comprised of himself and Aruku. The decisive moment in their struggle came not long after. Now somehow face to face in midair, Izuku wasted no time and delivered a palm strike to Aruku's face, gripping it when his hand made contact.

"Mmmmmffffff!" Aruku's voice could not be deciphered behind the gag, his mouth forced shut. Startled, the man grasped at the appendage with his free hand, losing his focus and beginning to fall to the ground.

Capitalizing on Aruku's loss of focus, Izuku freed his leg from the man's hold and dislodged his arm from the armor he had created. Both now fell to the ground as separate bodies, Izuku directly above the fat man.

***BOOM! ***

Aruku crashed into the hard ground, his back aching from the impact and the earth-appendage on his face shattering into rubble.

Izuku, on the other hand, landed much more gently.

As in 'on Aruku's soft stomach' gently.

"Graaaahhh!" The fat man gasped out, clutching his belly in pain as the boy jumped off his stomach like a trampoline. He didn't even register the fact the light around him was fading, a result of Izuku trapping his body in a prison made of blocks of earth.

***Huff…***

***…Puff…***

***…Huff…***

***…Puff…***

***…Huff…***

***…Puff…***

Izuku panted, leaning on his knees.

The boy waited just one second to appraise his work. Now both poachers were trapped, cussing at him from their prisons. And while normally an overly-innocent eight-year-old like him would gasp in horror for the use of such language, he couldn't bring himself to care about it at the moment.

Without even looking back, the boy bolted towards the far reaches of the pens, where the cell that held Chima was located.

He reached the closest cell, digging his hands into it and tearing the door open, looking inside and hoping to see his friend.

Chima wasn't there.

Instead, Izuku found another Badgermole.

The female Badgermole was at least twice as large as Chima was, with a unique black outline wrapped around the white fur surrounding her eyes. She has clearly seen better days. The poor beast was severely malnourished, her muscles deteriorated from years of inactivity and lack of proper food. Scars riddled her body. Her paws were a mess of dark gashes and calloused skin, the tissue having suffered through intense trauma. Her fur was a mess; It was short and hard like the stubbles of a drunk man, some patches of it much longer or shorter than the others.  
Cuffs were locked around her legs, connected via chains much like how the boy was restrained earlier.

Izuku felt something within him break when he saw this sight.

Badgermoles were his ideal for years, ever since he met Chima. They were strong, proud, caring, ferocious, and unwavering. They were everything he aspired to be, both in spirit and power.

But looking at this Badgermole, so defeated and broken, shattered that perfect image.

The Badgermole bared her teeth and growled at the boy, warning him to not come any closer as she backed herself into the cell's wall. Unlike the rest of the animals, she did not witness Izuku's effort in freeing them, the metal not allowing her to 'see' at all.

To her, Izuku was an enemy.

The boy tried to extend a gentle hand forward, to signal he meant no harm. But the Badgermole wasn't having any of it. Her growling only got loader, her scowl deepening and her muscles twitching in apprehension.

The boy was stumped. He couldn't get near the Badgermole and rescue her as she was now. He had no food, and he doubted that showing her his quirk would work in this situation.

Desperate, he searched his memories for something he could do, **anything** …

* * *

**1 year ago:**

The Matsuri, or Summer Festival, was in full swing in Musutafu. Little kids played different festival games, fighting with each other for who would get to go next. Fussing mothers took pictures of their sons and daughters in yukatas, whilst fathers were busy raiding the various food stalls.

Amongst the various festivalgoers were also the class 1-1 from Aldera Elementary, invited to go with their homeroom teacher. But not long after they all made it, it became apparent each wanted to do his/her own thing.

And so, naturally, they split up.

Izuku himself wasted no time and charged at the food stalls, spending every yen his mother had given him for the festival when she dropped him off.

Dango, Karaage, Yakitori, Taiyaki, and even a rare mini-Watermelon were quickly wrapped up and stuffed into the bag he had with him, garnering him a lot of odd looks from the other festivalgoers.

Not that he really cared.

With the bag held over his shoulder, he slipped away into the nearby park, finding Chima in their usual meeting spot.

And so, while the rest of his class spent their time playing festival games with each other and talking, Izuku hung out with his best friend. They shared the food Izuku brought, leaning against each other, and enjoying the other's company.

Izuku was quite glad, not even caring his green yukata was splattered with dirt and crumbles. He initially thought that the loud noise the festival made would frighten Chima, for never so many humans were so close to him. But the youngling took to it rather well. He almost appeared docile, in fact.

Especially when the music of the festival took over the sounds of the people.

'Guess Chima's a music lover…' Izuku smiled, looking at said Badgermole who purred to the music's beat.

* * *

**Present:**

" _…Leaves from the vine… Falling so slow…_ "

This was a long shot, and Izuku knew it.

The boy uttered the words of a long-forgotten song in a soft voice, each line recalled from the memory of a distant dream.  
The language he spoke in was foreign and unrecognizable, even to him. And while it sounded similar to Japanese, no word could be attributed to Izuku's mother tongue.

Unlike in his dreams, he had no exact idea of what he was saying, his seemingly magical translator ability gone.

But it didn't matter in the end.

All that did was the fact the Badgermole began to relax her tense muscles by the tiniest bit, her scowl weakening.

" _…Like fragile, tiny shells… Drifting in the foam…_ "

So he continued to sing the song, taking a step closer with every verse. The Badgermole appeared more serene as he went on, losing her scowl completely by the time the song had reached its end.

" _…Comes marching home…_ "

Now face to face with the beast, Izuku placed a gentle hand on one of her paws, asking for permission to continue. Receiving no negative answer, he gripped at the cuffs around her leg, the metal creaking as it got bent.

It only took a minute and now the Badgermole was free. Satisfied with his work, the boy stepped back giving himself room to spare just in case something unexpected happens.

***LLLIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKK***

Though that something certainly wasn't getting licked by her massive tongue out of the blue.

Wiping his face of her drool, Izuku wasted not a second longer and went out the cell, making sure to widen the gap in it so the Badgermole could walk out.

He then went to the next cell, opening it and finding another Badgermole there.

It wasn't Chima either.

It was a male Badgermole, larger than the female that was currently exiting her prison. Much like her, he too growled in warning at the boy, his bared teeth promising an agonizing end should he come too close.

He repeated the process he did with the female Badgermole, singing the song again and eventually freeing him as well.

Getting another gratitude-orial lick, the boy stepped out from the compartment, followed quickly by the escapee Badgermole.

It was in the light of the facility's fluorescent bulbs that he finally got a good look at the two Badgermoles he rescued, noting how familiar they looked as they nuzzled into each other like a married couple.  
The female's head was in the same shape as Chima's, from the frame of her nose to the way her ears curved. The white fur on her chest was the only real difference that Izuku could spot, but then again, that was the only Badgermole he ever saw with this attribute.  
The male shared some features with Chima as well; The white fur dots around the male's snout were identical to Chima, the black stripes on his back the same unique midnight black, and the chest an identical walnut brown.

"You're Chima's parents…" Izuku murmured, his mouth agape in both awe and realization. The two beasts stopped nuzzling each other for just a moment, humming at the boy as if they understood what he said.

Izuku was sure of it, the resemblance was too uncanny for it to be a coincidence.  
Chima was basically a carbon copy of the two of them!

It had made way too much sense. From his time in the cavern, Izuku knew Badgermoles lived in small communities as a collective, but as individuals, they lived as small families. They mated for life, their offsprings staying with them until they reached adulthood; something he knew Chima was nowhere near. Not once nor twice had he wondered about it, but only now had he got an answer.

And that answer only made his rage against the Tōu Liè Zhě burn hotter and brighter.

"They separated you…" Izuku whispered as he patted Chima's father on the nose with his un-gloved hand, the Badgermole purring at his hand's warmth. "… No more!" He declared.

Izuku ran towards the last cell, his bloody knuckles turning white from the force. He ripped open the cell as if it was made from aluminum foil, creating a massive gap in the metal wall.

Large enough for a certain someone.

***THWOMP! ***

Chima burst through the hole, tackling Izuku and wrapping his legs around the boy's body in a hug.

"Chima! "

The two fell to earth, Chima on top of Izuku.

Izuku pressed his cheek against Chima's snout, shedding tears on his fur, "I-I *sniff* I was s-so scared that they hurt you…". Chima purred in content, leaning on Izuku as much as the boy did him, sighing in the relief of seeing him again. Chima's parents joined in as well, nuzzling into the youngling's sides.

***Hmmmmm? ***

Chima's heart skipped a beat when he felt his parents pressed against him. He let out a confused hum, refusing to believe what he felt until he confirmed it.

In response the two adults rested their heads on Chima's, confirming to him that they were there.

Izuku was the first to notice the tears that spilled from Chima's milky white eyes, the water dripping down his snout, joining his own, before dripping to the ground.  
Izuku smiled, gently wiping off Chima's tears. "It alright now, we're here" He soothed, looking up at the Chima's parents 'I need to name them after we get out of here.' he decided.

For just a moment not a thing in the world mattered to any of them. The small family of Badgermoles stayed huddled there together, finally reunited after three long years, their newest and unorthodox addition with them.

If only it could last...

***Sniff...***

Izuku smelt it before he saw it. The sour stench of ash and smoke wafted in the air, causing the quartet to scrunch up their noses.

They all needed not to look deep into their memories to know what that smell reminded them of.

Izuku looked up, a worried expression on his face, bordering on frightful.

Two scorching tongues of flames danced across the catwalks on the second level of the pens, warping around the neck of a poor Catgator like a python before extending further and moving on to the next.

**" _R_ R _R_ R _O_ O _O_ O _O_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ H _H_ H _H_ H!"**

The reptiles roared in pain, the whips around their neck growing in brightness for just a moment before fading back to a dull red, eventually disappearing completely.  
As one, almost every single Catgator on the second floor dropped to the ground, not able to lift a single limb in both exhaustion and pain.

Standing tall on one of the catwalks was the perpetrator. He was dressed in the same fiery clothes Izuku saw from their first encounter a couple of hours ago, but everything else about him seemed different.

The man's muscles, that before were developed but lean, seemingly bulked in size two-fold, arteries pulsing from within them.  
His face was the worst change by a long shot. It was a sick red, veins sticking out like sore thumbs all over his forehead. His eyes were burning like two miniature suns; not the warm and gentle kind, but the kind that burned whoever dared look at it.

The men's soft musk from their first encounter had evolved into a full-blown miasma, coalescing with the stench of the corrals into an unholy and malodorous abomination.

 **"Y** o **u f** u **ck** i **ng va** rm **in** t **!"**

**Shuzumu Honōmuchi, quirk: Whips of Fthaggua**

**Shuzumu can form two large flame-like whips fueled by his vitality. The whips hold an almost impossible level of dexterity, capable of precise movements even when stretched to an incredible length. Should the whips come in contact with a living organism, they will start to feed on its vitality, glowing brighter as they do so and transferring some of it back to Shuzumu.**

The man glared down at Izuku with the fury of a mad predator, violent wisps of flame escaping from the whips he wielded.

Under that gaze, Izuku and the Badgermoles felt tiny, like mice cowering before a cat.

The boy held his nose beneath his forearm, desperate to not breathe in the suffocating scent of smoke that filled the air.  
He tried to avert his gaze away from Shuzumu; instead, getting a better look at what was happening on the second level.

The Catgators now laid defeated on the catwalks, the poachers tying them all with ropes and throwing them back into cages. Taser shots sailed through the air, hitting the Wolfbats and knocking them out, leaving them to crash to the ground.

By this point, almost all the poachers had made it to the pens. About a couple hundred men stared Izuku down, perched on the various metal bridges and balconies.

" **W** HA **T ARE YOU** AL **L WA** ITI **NG F** O **R**?!" Shuzmu barked, " **GET** DO **WN TH** ER **E** AN **D** **CA** PT **UR** E T **HEM**!"

The boy had to his name only himself, Chima and his parents, the Shirshu, and a dozen or so Wolfbats left in this fight. The poachers were coming down towards them, climbing down ladders, or simply jumping down without a care for the consequences.

"FUCK'EM UP!"

The poachers began to surround the Shirshu, at least a dozen on one. Even with their toxic tongues, there was little they could do against so many humans.  
The criminals blocked the tongue's strikes with the hardened sleeves of their brown jackets, throwing metal cables over their bodies and trying to subdue them.

The Wolfbats dove in on them, trying to help the struggling Shirshu. They aimed their strikes on the Shirshus' attackers, trying to ease the pressure off them; but they too had worries to be addressed. The flying mammals couldn't afford to stay on one target for too long, they had to keep on a constant move, for not for even a second were they not shot at.

This resulted in them being a mere annoyance, getting shot down one by one at the hands of irked poachers.

"Get ready guys!" Izuku and the Badgermole stood at the pens' edge, the boy taking a stance while the beasts lowered themselves to the ground and growled. They were prepared to fight the horde of poachers making its way, the unwavering glare of an Earthbender in their eyes.

They all stomped on the ground at once, sending a hail of boulders at the approaching poachers.

The earthen projectile struck true and rammed into the poachers, pushing them back and causing major damage to those without a defensive quirk. It was just their first attack, but already a dozen villains laid on their backs. All having been unfortunate enough to be hit in the head or by a particularly large boulder.

"Hurry!" Someone yelled, understanding how dangerous was their situation "Don't let them attack again!"

They attacked again.

**"RRROOOOOAAAARRRRRR! "**

Chima's parents roared and slammed their paws against the ground. Numerous pillars of rocks shot from the floor like geysers, smashing into any poacher unfortunate enough to be in the way.

"You need to separate them!" Jū yelled at them from his prison, silently praying that no poacher that was sent flying would crash onto him. "There's no way you can take them when they work together!"

"R-right!" A poacher, who had the head of a Chameleon, jumped into the front of the group and shot out his tongue.

"Huh?" Izuku widened his eyes when felt something sticky and wet hit his chest. Looking down he saw the tongue of a Chameleon stuck to it. He gripped the slimy appendage with disgust evident on his face, trying to pull it off with little success.

The Chameleon-headed poacher yanked his head back, using his tongue to send the boy hurtling through the air.

"Whooooaaaaa!" Izuku cried out, dragged through the air like a rag doll. The poacher let go of the boy when he built enough momentum, letting him fall back to earth.

"Gah!"

Izuku landed on his back in the middle of the pens, his body rolling on the ground until he came to a stop. He groaned in pain as he struggled to get up, one of his knees noticeably bloodier and more bruised than before.

"Hehehe… look who's here boys!"

Izuku gulped, darting his head from left to right frantically. He crash-landed in the middle of a group of poachers, not a friendly face visible between all the smiling criminals.

He was surrounded.

"GET HIM!"

The poachers all pounced on him at once, intent on subduing the boy. Thinking quickly, Izuku raised his arms and formed a pillar underneath himself, boosting himself up and away from their range.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Now safe, Izuku didn't waste a second and began to attack. He slammed columns of earth against the poachers with arm thrusts and kicked those who tried to climb up on his pillar with his earthen boots.

"Take this!" Izuku yelled as he nailed a tall poacher in the face, knocking a tooth out.

"Gya!" The criminal yowled, a hand over his bleeding mouth.

"We aren't getting anywhere like this! Get him off that pillar!" Someone yelled.

"That's easier said than done!" Another criminal replied, "He's too high up and he's also out of the range of the tasers!"

"No worries..." A nonchalant voice came from the back of the poacher group. The man who spoke was the largest man out of them all, 2.3 meters of muscles upon muscles. He only wore tight leather pants to cover himself and his bald head shined ominously in the fluorescent light.

"I'll take care of that…"

Izuku's eyes narrowed, the man's pink and rash ridden skin hitting a cord within his mind, _'Him again…'_

"GRAAAHHH!" With a mighty battle cry, the large man punched the pillar with his fist, smashing it to pieces.

The pillar began to break off. Izuku scrambled from his perch on top, his footing on it lessening. Gasping and disoriented, Izuku found himself falling off the pillar, landing harshly on the floor.

"Ooooff!"

"We got the kid!" The bald man exclaimed, hand around the boy's neck and lifting him off the ground.

"*Cough* Ack- *Cough*" Izuku choked and thrashed in the air, trying to escape the man's grasp.

"Give it up squirt! You're not breaking free!"

He was right. Even if Izuku wasn't currently being choked, the difference in strength between them was too vast. The boy gripped the bald man's arms in a futile fight for air, unable to even call out for help.

With lungs burning with the need for oxygen, shriveling up in his chest, Izuku was left to stare helplessly at the scene around him, his eyes watery.

Things were at their worst. The Shirshu were defeated, held down by multiple men as they were being tied up and muzzled; the Wolfbats flew no more, laying unconscious on the ground. Metal cables draped over the Badgermole's bodies, pushing them down to the ground. Chima thrashed against his restraints, trying to break free. His parents were already done in, their weakened muscles giving in on them.

"Chi-*cough*-ma…" Izuku coughed, eyes locked on his best friend even when his peripheral vision started to go black.

"*Kehehe* Looks like you finally gave up…" The man who held Izuku chuckled, watching the armor that covered the boy's limbs beginning to crumble and fall off, exposing bare skin.

It was over.

 **"K** E **h** A **hAH** a **Ha**!" Shuzumu laughed manically; having made it to the bottom level himself. " **Y** ou g **a** v **e** m **e** qu **it** e **t** h **e** sc **ar** e! **F** o **r** **a** m **o** m **ent, I** th **o** ugh **t** **y** ou **r** a **n** a **w** ay **o** n **u** s!"

The tall man now stood face to face with Izuku, the world's largest scowl on his face as he glared at the kid.

***SLAP! ***

" **W** H **A** T **T** HE **H** EL **L W** ERE Y **O** U **T** HI **N** KI **N** G? **! Y** O **U** L **IT** T **L** E **SH** I **T!** **Y** O **U A** LMO **ST RU** IN **E** D **EV** E **RY** T **H** I **N** G **! "** Shuzumu screamed at the boy, his nose mere centimeters away from the spot where he slapped Izuku, the skin on his cheek an aggressive red.

The boy only let out a choked sniffle, whether it was from despair or pain Shuzumu couldn't care less.

"

 ***H** uF **f** *

*P **U** Ff *****

 ***** h **U** F **F***

* **P** U **f** F *****

 ***** Hu **f** F*

* **p** uF **f***

"

Shuzumu panted, his voice hoarse from yelling so loud. " **T** o **th** in **k** yo **u ma** nag **ed** t **o p** ul **l al** l **of t** h **i** s **o** f **f…** " The man gestured to the battle-torn pens, almost sounding impressed.

Like a box of matches, Shuzumu's hand lit aflame, the fire in it hissing in a low voice as it got ignited. He held out that hand in front of Izuku's sweaty face, the heat painting his skin a sick orange. " **Y** o **u w** o **n** 't **g** et **to do t** ha **t a** g **a** i **n, b** r **at. I'** l **l m** a **ke** s **ur** e **yo** u **d** o **n'** t **e** v **e** n **T** H **IN** K **a** bo **u** t **d** o **i** n **g** t **h** i **s a** g **a** in **!"**

The man's flaming hand got closer to Izuku's face, the dry heat forcing his eyes shut.

The pain never came.

The ground began to shake.

Shuzumu stopped, the fire in his hand sizzling out.

"Huh?"

"An Earthquake?"

The entire underground facility shook and rumbled. The catwalks clanked, the animals howled, and the men lost their footing as the sound of the Earthquake dominated the space.

"Wohohooaaaa!"

In his panic, the bald man who held Izuku dropped the boy. Landing on the shaking ground with a small thud, Izuku immediately breathed in precious oxygen, coughing, and caressing his sore neck.

That was when he felt **it** with his seismic sense, joining Chima in smirking in victory.

Why?

The back wall of the facility exploded out abruptly; A cloud of dust was released into the air and shrapnel of earth were shot in every direction.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

"ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?!"

The poachers watched with mouths agape as the dust cloud cleared, revealing what it was that broke into their base.

Badgermoles burst forth from the wall in a horde, stomping on the concrete floor and trampling unassuming poachers as they went.  
A battalion of Shirshu and Catgators followed soon after, baring out their teeth.  
Up above their heads was a large flock of Wolfbats, wailing out their unique cries which echoed in the large space.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" One of the poachers yelled out their collective thought, staring at the small army with wide eyes.

Izuku face broke into a gleaming smile at the sight of reinforcements, looking at them and coming across someone familiar.

Sitting perched on the head of a Badgermole was a small black & white Lop-eared rabbit, squeaking out in fervor that matched that of an army commander.

 _'It's her!'_ The boy realized, getting up and running in Chima's direction while the poachers gaped at the invading force.

" **R _R_ R _R_ R _R_ R _R_ R _R_ R _R_ R _R_ R _O_ O _O_ O _O_ O _O_ O _O_ O _O_ O _O_ O _A_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ A _A_ R _R_ R _R_ R _R_ R!"**

The animals all roared together, creating the world's mightiest battle cry. The poachers all backed away in horror, the thundering roar ringing in their ears as the beasts charged at them with bloody murder in their eyes.

* * *

**Shuzumu Honōmuchi**

**Quirk:** **Whips of Fthaggua**

**Description: Shuzumu can form two large flame-like whips fueled by his vitality. The whips hold an almost impossible level of dexterity, capable of precise movements even when stretched to an incredible length. Should the whips come in contact with a living organism, they will start to feed on its vitality, glowing brighter as they do so and transferring some of it back to Shuzumu.**

**Appearance: Shuzumu is a well-built man of high stature and intimidating features. His greasy black hair is usually tied into a braid that rests on his back, and he has a small mustache and goat patch on his chin. Usually, he tends to wear bright red and yellow clothing emphasizing the fire-like properties of his quirk.**

**(His design was highly inspired by the circus trainer from 'Appa's lost days')**

**Affiliation: Tōu Liè Zhě, Japanese branch.**

**Age: 37.**

**Birthday: 13/8**

**Height: 183 cm**

**Favorite food: Grilled steak (Preferably Bison).**

**Least favorite thing: Being told what to do.**

**Tidbit: After being pushed around by other people most of his life (His family, neighbors, heroes, etc.), Shuzumu joined the Tōu Liè Zhě out of a desire to escape that life. When he finally made it to the top of the Japanese branch, however, he discovered how little power he can have in the Tōu Liè Zhě and fell to depression, feeling like he as a person was insignificant.**

**After discovering the system of tunnels, he saw the opportunity to achieve what he joined the Tōu Liè Zhě for, giving him a purpose again.**

* * *

Izuku weaved between the poachers as he made his way back to Chima and the animals, his shoulders brushing against their legs as he struggled to push his way through.

" **GE** T **T** H **E B** R **A** T **!"** He heard Shuzumu yell from somewhere behind him.

Ducking beneath attempts to grab him, the boy soon found himself under the protective shade of one of the Badgermoles, finally getting a chance to breathe a small sigh of relief.

Around him, the battle raged on.

The Catgators and Badgermoles were busy charging at the poachers from the tunnel they emerged from, coming out of it in hordes like ants out of an anthill. They tackled, bit, clawed, and blasted rocks against any target they had in line of sight, forcing out screams from the (not) poor men.  
Unfortunately, the Shirshu did not enter the pens after them; every time one of the star-nosed beasts took a step in, they shook their heads and their footing faltered as if they were hit with a wave of vertigo.

'It's the smell!' Izuku realized, familiar with Shirshu anatomy, 'It overwhelms them! The only reason the other Shirshu are not is because they got used to it!'

Thankfully, even without the Shirshu's help, the animals were on the up and up.

In the mere seconds since they began their assault, the animals had already claimed a large chunk of the lower levels, pushing back against the poachers.  
As a result, various animals who were previously held in that area broke free, Chima and his parents being among them.

The animals still able to fight joined back without missing a beat, teeth bared and nose scrunched. The injured ones, however, were carried back into the tunnels the reinforcements came from, protected, and carried on the backs of a few Badgermoles.

 _'We're pushing them back!'_ Izuku smiled, looking around the upper levels of the pens before a frown replaced it, _'But there are still a lot of animals in the cages… we need to free and get them out of here!'_

"Chima!" The boy called out, garnering the attention of the Badgermole who immediately ran to his side. "I'm going to free the other animals, but I can't get up there when the villains block me!" To emphasize, he pointed to the closest ladder which was separated from them by forty or so men. "I'm gonna need a boost!"

Chima let out an affirmative snarl, giving Izuku all that he needed.

"Let's go!"

Together, Izuku and Chima began to run straight at the poachers, letting other animals deal with them while they built up speed.

Without warning, Chima jumped high into the air, slamming back into the ground with a loud and violent thud. A massive pillar of earth immediately shot out from under the still running Izuku, sending him sky-high.

"Whhhooooaaaaa!"

Izuku flailed in midair as he soared higher and higher, his body coming closer to one of the catwalks, 'Almost there… Got it!' The boy barely got to reach high enough for the first-level catwalks, managing to grip at its railing with one hand.

"Phew…"

With a small sigh of relief, Izuku climbed up the railing and found himself back on the first level. All around him small animals were held in portable cages, their usual once abandoned mid-cleaning. They all looked up at him with big, watery eyes, as if he was their salvation.

Unfortunately, they were not the only ones there.

"It's the kid!"

"Get him!"

Of course there were villains there too.

The boy looked around frantically, looking for a piece of rock in the maze of metallic catwalks. _'Crraaaappp… there's no earth here!'_

Thinking quickly, he tore a metal rod out of the railing out and made a makeshift staff out of it, nailing the closest poacher in the face once he got too close.

"Gah! MotherFUcker!" The man held his nose in his hands, stepping back to nurse it.

The other poachers in front of Izuku got a familiar treatment. They were struck multiple times by his makeshift weapon: in the head, face, arms, and legs. Though it was usually the strike to the family jewels that did them in.

Without the borderline 'broken' awareness that his seismic sense gave him, the boy found himself rendered almost completely quirkless up on that catwalk. The only ability to his name being his capability to make makeshift weapons from the metal footholds.

Which was why he was not ready for an attack from behind.

"Gotcha!" A poacher exclaimed, charging straight at Izuku from his rearwards.

Startled, Izuku swiveled to face him, knowing he would be too late to block.

Luckily, he didn't need to.

***Trip! ***

"What th- oooofff!" The man's eyes widened when he felt something tangle itself around his legs. Caught off guard he fell to the ground by Izuku's feet, just in range for a metal pole to the face.

"Aw, cra-!"

***Bam! ***

The boy raised a curious brow at the unconscious man on the floor, questioning what happened to make him trip like that.

He looked further from the poacher's body, finding his answer.

Behind the poacher's body stood the Lop-eared rabbit Izuku rescued earlier, untangling its elongated ears from the knot she made around the man's feet.

"How did you get here?" The boy questioned, letting go of his staff "Weren't you with one of the Badgermoles a second ago?"

Izuku didn't get an answer, not that he expected any. _'She might've hitched a ride on the catapult I took up here, I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings…'_

Deciding to leave it be, for now, the boy made his way and began freeing the small animals from the cages, the black & white rabbit sticking to his side, "It doesn't matter… could you still help me, though? Say something if you see a villain coming our way."

* * *

Shuzumu was one step away from foaming at the mouth.

Everything was beginning to fall apart.

One second the boy was held tight in place in front of him, he and the animals finally restrained after what felt like an eternity of fighting. The next, one of the walls of his pens exploded, and out came an invading force of monstrous beasts, all hellbent on destroying everything he worked towards.

And now, the brat was running away after one of his idiots dropped him, gaining distance by the second. " **GE** T **T** H **E B** R **A** T **!"** He barked, running after him, hoping at least one of his underlings listened and stopped the kid.

He had no such luck.

Shuzumu had to watch the kid get catapulted high into the pen's first level and away from his grasp, an earth pillar standing where he used to be.

" **G** G **GR** R **RA** A **A** A **AAA** A **AA** AA **AH** H **H** HH **H** H **H**!" He screamed, holding his head in frustration. " **I'** M **G** O **IN** G **A** F **TE** R T **H** E **K** I **D**!" He shouted at his underlings, "Y **OU T** AK **E** C **AR** E **O** F **TH** E **A** NI **MA** L **S**!"

Not stopping to even see if they followed his orders, Shuzumu bolted in the direction of the closest ladder.

He didn't make it there.

Instead, Shuzumu found a wall forming between himself and the ladder, blocking his way.

" **Y** O **U** ' **V** E **GOT** T **O B** E **K** ID **D** I **N** G **M** E **!"** The man turned around, finding a group of Badgermoles all glaring at him in hatred.  
The two they had already captured were with them, as well as the one they brought with the kid.

Those three were the most upset, the scowls on their faces menacing enough to cause even the likes of All Might to shudder.

" **I** D **O** N **'T** H **A** V **E T** I **M** E **F** OR **T** HI **S!** " Shuzumu roared, his quirk activating.

His flaming whips roared out as they sailed through the air, aiming at two of the Badgermoles who glared at him.

His targets stomped on the ground and erected a wall in the whips' path. The whips lashed out against the shield, living diagonal scorch marks as they went, but failing to break through.

Grinding his teeth together, Shuzumu tried attacking again, this time aiming at a different Badgermole. But just like before, he found a wall blocking his attack.

The Badgermoles weren't letting the man get a single hit on their bodies, one constructing a shield for the other as they began to close in on him.

"D **AM** M **I** T **!** DA **MM** I **T!** D **A** M **M** I **T! D** A **A** A **A** AM **MM** M **II** I **I** T **!** " The space Shuzumu had to move in was getting smaller by the second, not even allowing him to **see** his targets properly anymore. Blocks and slabs of earth closed into each other around and above him, the Badgermole imprisoning him and casting him into darkness.

* * *

Chima heaved a sigh of relief once he was sure the ashen man was trapped.

He couldn't help it, that man scared the youngling to no end; having been plaguing and haunting his nightmares for three years now.

But, somehow, the man was way scarier than he remembered.

Back then, on the clearing three years ago, he remembered whimpering in fear as that monster stood atop him, dominant. He was the man who, in mere strokes of his arms, subdued his parents like they were playing toddlers.  
Just from being near him, Chima felt oh so insignificantly small in comparison, as if the man was a towering, dormant volcano.

And, naturally, a volcano is at it's scariest as it erupts.

Chima shook his head, trying to rid himself of any thought that was connected to that man.

It didn't matter now. He was trapped.

The other Badgermoles began to turn tail from the prison they made and back towards the battles still being fought, leaving Chima behind to stay there alone.

With a massive weight of his chest, the youngling shifted his attention to the sounds that were coming from above, where he knew Izuku was.

From the sound of it, the boy appeared to be currently making his way to the Catgators on the second level, having managed to free all the animals on the first.  
There appeared to be a small Lop-eared rabbit with him as well, judging by the constant squeaking she let out.

The animals Izuku had already freed were already making their way down to the escape tunnel. Those who could survive the fall jumped while those who couldn't had to climb down the ladders with cat-like reflexes and agility.

They were almost done. Just a couple more minutes of fighting before it was all over.

"STEP BACK BOSS! I'M BREAKING THROUGH!"

Too bad things couldn't go so smoothly for long.

One of the poachers, a **huge** man with a bald head and rash-ridded skin, charged at the prison of the ashen man, intent on smashing it to pieces.

"!"

Panic and adrenaline surged through the youngling's veins as he pounced forward from a standing position, leaving indents in the ground where he used to be.

Chima tackled the man, sending them both recoiling away from each other. Chima's claws dragged through the ground before he came to a stop, tightening their grip on it in a mix of apprehension and anxiety.

To Chima's surprise, the bald man merely skidded a few steps from the tackle, quickly finding a balanced stance and looking at the youngling with a sneer. "Well, well, well…" He stared at Chima, his smile that of a bloodthirsty maniac. "What are you waiting for? COME AT ME!"

Growling at the bald man, Chima tried tackling him again, shifting his entire weight behind him. He ran straight at him, hundreds of thousands of newtons of force stored in a several-ton-body.

"Hehehe…" Chima's brows shot up when the man didn't even flinch from his incoming assault. He took Chima's attack head-on, holding his ground as the Badgermole pushed against him.

"Now's my turn…"

Wrapping his burly arms around one of Chima's legs, the man almost effortlessly lifted the youngling up. Spinning like a dreidel, the poacher dragged Chima through the air before letting go and sending him flying, forcing out a yowl of pain once he crashed back to Earth.

Chima struggled to get back on his feet, his heart beating loudly in his chest and his breathing labored. Gritting his teeth together, the young Badgermole dragged his claws through the ground, sending a wave made of earth at the bald man.

The poachers crossed his arms together, letting the wave hit him head-on.

Besides being pushed back the tiniest bit, the attack did nothing.

"Man, what a letdown…" The man grumbled, pieces of rubble falling off his shoulders. "I thought you Badger monsters were the strongest animals in the world..."

He walked casually towards Chima, a bored expression on his face. His glance focused on the earth prison of his boss before letting out a disappointed sigh "Guess they don't get that strong until they're adults…"

Chima's claws dug into the ground in frustration, looking around himself for anyone who could stop the bald man in time.

There were none.

There was nothing Chima could do. The bald man's strength was overwhelming, powerful enough not only to overwhelm Chima's physical strength but also his Earthbending.

He was fighting against an opponent who rendered his raw abilities obsolete. Just like… Just like…

Just like Izuku was against Badgermoles.

Chima's brow shot up.

Izuku was always in the exact same position as Chima was now when he sparred against Badgermoles in his training, most times he was even worse off!  
Not only most of the Badgermoles he fought against were better Earthbenders, but they also held an astronomically high advantage over him in the form of raw strength.

Yet as the months flew by and Izuku's skill grew, the boy found himself starting to keep up. Not because his Earthbending grew more powerful, even though it did.

Rather, it was how he used it.

Early on, Izuku found out that while the raw power behind his quirk was (currently) much weaker than that of the Badgermoles, he had some advantages of his own.  
Unlike the beasts, he had a much more delicate control over the earth he bent, allowing him to pull off moves that were nigh impossible to Badgermoles.

One of which just might be able to help Chima in his current predicament.

Chima closed his eyes and took a deep breath, steeling his expression before charging at the bald man again.

"Oh, brother…" The bald man sighed in annoyance, prepare for a repeat of Chima's last attack.

Only it wasn't one.

Concentrating on the tiny shards of earth around him, Chima willed them to conglomerate around one of his claws, mimicking Izuku's signature move.

It was harder to do than it looked. All Badgermoles didn't have a very delicate hold over their powers, rendering most efforts of handling minutes amounts of earth worthless.

But, then again, there was one main difference between Chima and the rest of his kind.

They weren't the partners of one Izuku Midoriya.

Numerous shards of earth clung to his claw, forming a layer of armor around it. Chima roared, using his powers to accelerate his attack to an unnatural speed as he slashed at the poacher.

"*Gasp! *"

The man's breath left his lungs from the force of the attack, his body pushed away like a rag doll. He fell to the concrete floor, his right shoulder throbbing in pain where a deep cut was present, "What the hell?" he groaned.

Chima growled at the bald man again, the paw that was covered in armor and blood raised like a knife.

Before the poacher could even get up, Chima was atop of him. The Badgermole swiped down the man one blow after the other, each attack sending him rolling, reeling, and hurting.  
One after the other, each strike elicited a pain-filled cry from the man, accompanying another broken bone or a gash on the skin.

"RRRROOOOAAAA!"

With a mighty roar, Chima coated his other frontal paw with earth and joined the appendages together, sledgehammering the bald poacher.

The man's body collapsed to the ground like he was shot out of a rocket, a cobweb of cracks decorating the crash site.

He did not get up, merely laid on the floor, unconscious.

Snarling at the fallen man one last time, Chima turned away from him, content and relieved that he prevented disaster…

Only to see the earth prison of the ashen man was breached, molten rock dripping off a hole in one of the walls.

Shuzumu himself was nowhere in sight.

* * *

"All right, *pant* I think that's everyone." Izuku gasped as he carried the last injured Catgator on the catwalks with the help of some more of it's kind. They all gently dropped the reptile on a raised earth platform to the catwalk's side, a construct made specifically for them. The structure's creator, a female Badgermole, was awaiting patiently by its base, lowering it back to the ground once she got the go-ahead.

Izuku and the rabbit watched from above as the pillar grew shorter and the animals atop it grew smaller, shortly touching the ground and allowing the animals to disembark. "One final check and we're out of here!" The boy picked up the rabbit and placed her on his shoulder, now the only other living being on the catwalk with him.

Or at the least the only being that **should**.

" **Y** o **u** s **no** t **t** y **,** **l** i **t** t **le** **, s** o **n o** f **a** B **I** T **C** H **!** "

Izuku's heart sank.

The boy slowly turned around, gulping when his fears were confirmed.

On the other side of the metal bridge stood Shuzumu Honōmuchi, an expression locked on his face that could give people nightmares. The veins in his temples had long since popped, forming a vast and colorful landscape on his forehead. His hands looked like a hellscape taken straight from purgatory, sporting bright red and pustular blisters. Patches of dry skin crumbled off his ruined hands like snowflakes, catching fire as they slowly wafted down.

But despite all of this, all the pain he was visibly in, the man before him didn't seem to care about it at all. " **I** h **ad e** n **o** ug **h o** f y **o** u **r s** h **i** t **!"** Shuzumu barked out, spit flying from his mouth.

" **A** AA **AA** H **HH** H **R** R **RG** G **GG!** " It was with a bloodthirsty howl that Shuzumu raised his arms into the air like a raging gorilla. Lashes of fire materialized in an instant, coming down on the boy following their master's command.

"*Gasp! *" Izuku jumped back in the nick of times, the fire almost grazing his skin.

The whips mauled the ground on impact, lighting up a fire that now separated Izuku from his attacker.

"Run away!" Izuku instructed the rabbit, feeling the weight on his shoulder lighten up a second later.

" **Y** O **U** **AI** N **'T** **G** E **TT** I **N** G **AW** AY **THI** S T **IME**!" Shuzumu's face broke through the fire, soon followed by the rest of his body. Flames engulfed the man's fist as he wound back to strike, aiming to attack with a haymaker.

"Whoa!"

Rolling to the side on the last second, Izuku was mere centimeters from getting singed. His footing now lost; the boy stumbled backward, his spine impacting a wall. He found himself pressed against a cage's door, panting and looking at Shuzumu like he was about to murder him.

" **RA** AA **AA** H **HH** H **G** G **GG!** "

Izuku ducked, dodging a horizontal lash from the poacher. Thinking quickly, he grabbed two of the bars from the cage behind him and dislodged them from their place, arming himself with two make-shift hanbo staffs.

The boy kicked himself off, meeting a charging Shuzumu halfway. He brought one of the staffs down on the man, hitting his forearm and forcing the whips out of the way. With the attack deflected, Izuku brought the other staff upwards, nailing a strike against Shuzumu's armpit.

"G **G** R **RR** **!"**

Shuzumu received the attack with a grunt, snarling at the boy. He swiftly kicked Izuku in the chest, creating a distance for just a moment before charging again.

Seeing another fiery attack coming his way, Izuku did the same as his opponent and charged as well. He got right in front of the man as soon as he could, escaping the whips' extensive range. Each of his staffs met one of the man's arms, holding them in place preventing him from bringing them down.

Too impatient to overpower the boy' Shuzumu ended the brief stalemate by kicking Izuku's feet from under him. "Gah!" Izuku yelped when he touched the ground and his left elbow took the brunt of the fall. Rolling to the side and dodging a downwards slash, the greenette rose to his feet again and charged.  
Holding his two staffs against each other like a broadsword, he tried to go for a heavy attack on the man, missing his mark as Shuzumu backed away.

Izuku did not let up. He pounced at the man, again and again, remaining in close quarters as he circled him. He stabbed forward with the tip of the staff, from there swiveling it in an arc to gain momentum before whacking away Shuzumu's arms. He had an opening. He charged forward, body catching some lingering cinders in the air as he did. He used his other staff to jab Shuzumu's stomach, following up with a double strike to the shoulders, the first strike flowing into the second.  
With rage clouding his judgment, Shuzumu raised both of his hands, trying to swat away the staffs that attacked his upper body.

And the wrong call was swiftly exploited by Izuku, using his staff like a bat to bludgeon the man's side.

" **Ga** h!" Shuzumu groaned, hand automatically coming to nurse his side.

He glared at the kid in front of him, gritting his teeth together.

"FU **CK** Y **O** U!" Shuzumu screamed when Izuku tried to attack again. The man swatted to staff away with a flaming fist, having expected the boy to come close. Caught off guard, Izuku barely managed to sidestep an incoming flaming fist. The man's fire brushed against his shirt, painting patches of once vibrant red a charcoal black.

With Shuzumu's extended fist so close to him, Izuku attempted to strike his forearm down, an effort to give himself some room to breathe.

His opponent, however, saw the attack coming and didn't even budge when his arm was smacked.

The two were locked in a close-quarter fight. With each strike, Izuku attempted to swat away one of Shuzmu's flaming hands; each time failing to do so as Shuzumu intercepted each of them. Flaming hands met warm steel that only got hotter and hotter as the exchanges persisted, soon growing into an uncomfortable heat that the boy had to bear.

Izuku's movements were getting sloppier after each exchange of blows. His clothes got singed more often, some so bad that a hole was burned through, revealing a burn. More and more of those appeared on his arms and chest, the raw, pink, skin a sharp contrast to his usual complexion.

Despite that he persisted, gritting his teeth together and remaining as close to Shuzumu as possible. After all, any other distance was much worse.

"Gah!" Izuku yelped when Shuzumu's hand brushed against his left shoulder. Pain shot up the shoulder blade. Another burn. Blistered skin poked out of a tear in the fabric, white smoke wafting in the area of the wound.

Izuku blinked away forming tears, fighting back the urge to nurse his shoulder.

Instead, Izuku forced himself to glare at the villain in front of him. The man had obviously seen better days, it was apparent the boy did some damage to him. Shzumu's arms, biceps, and face were an abstract painting of purple, yellow, red, and blue bruises he sustained from each bludge he received from Izuku. Somehow, his hands had only got more disgusting during the fight. The Epidermis on his palms was completely gone by now, the Delma close to following suit. Boiling, bubbling, blood dripped from every blood vessel on his hand, pooling on the ground and hissing against the cool metal.

In some ways, Izuku fared even worse, since the damage on him wasn't self-inflicted.

The boy's hair was singed in a couple of places, once curly hair now dry and flaky. Ash was smeared over every patch of exposed skin. It lingered in the air around him, agitating his throat and lungs every time he took a breath. The metal staffs were burning hot, painting the hand that gripped them a bright red.  
He was burned everywhere. His arms, chest, hands, and feet were all screaming at him, begging him to drop the staffs and flee with his life.

But all the pain was nothing in comparison to the fatigue.

Each time the tiniest flick of flame grazed him, Izuku had felt his energy being drained away. And as the fire took away that vitality, it only got brighter, and Shuzumu stood taller, stronger, scarier.

It was a miracle he didn't faint, let alone stayed standing and fought for this long.

But now Izuku felt all the energy drain catch up to him, he was on the brink of buckling over. He was panting as if his life depended on it, needing to lean on one of his staffs to remain standing.

Shuzumu was walking right towards him, his pace slow, like he knew it was already over.

Heaving out one last huff, the boy's grip on his staffs strengthened. He wound both of his hands back, intent on keeping going.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" He screamed, his hands coming forward and the staffs coming with them.

"..." Shuzumu merely caught the sluggish attack, ripping the weapons out of the boy's hands before using them to strike him in the abdomen.

"Gah!" Izuku cried out, nursing his hurt stomach and backing away.

The poacher did not let out, whacking the boy in the waist. He watched the boy curl in further, before striking him at the knee.

"Gya!" Izuku buckled over, his eyes closed and his hands the only thing stopping him from completely laying on the ground.

" **I** t **'s** o **v** e **r!** "

***Stomp! ***

"Ooooff!"

Izuku felt the man's foot stomp on his back, pushing him down and pinning him to the catwalk's floor. The boy wheezed out for air, the weight on his back making it hard to breathe, and squirmed in place, fighting to get free.

It was of no use, he couldn't even budge.

" **You'r** e n **ot** g **e** t **ti** n **g** a **w** a **y fr** o **m** **m** e **th** i **s** **ti** m **e**!" Izuku heard the man grumbled out, gritting his teeth as he tried pushing himself up.

He couldn't.

It was at that moment that he opened his eyes, getting a look at the lower floor through the gaps on the catwalk's grating.

The **metallic** catwalk's grating.

Grinning, Izuku brought both of his hands underneath his stomach, causing Shuzumu the go on high alert.

" **ST** O **P** T **H** A **T**!" He barked.

Too late.

Tapping into the impurities in the metal, Izuku tore open a hole on the floor, letting himself (and Shuzumu) fall through it.

 **"YO** U **S** O **N O** F **A** BI **TC** H **!"**

Izuku tucked his knees together as he approached the ground, rolling away from Shuzumu who crashed without any grace to his fall. Quickly stumbling to his feet, he only had enough time to hastily construct two Earth Gauntlets around his arms before the poacher stood up.

It was by far the shoddiest work he had done in well over a year. The gauntlets were thin and cranky, chunks of it falling off when he clenched his fists.  
Numerous patches of skin poked through it, the biggest of which was on his left forearm, where a massive hole was present.

" **BB** BR **RR** A **AA** A **A** A **A** AA **A** A **T** T **TT** T **T** T **!** "

Shuzumu rose and glared at Izuku, his flaming whips burning bright like two scimitars made of fire.

The boy had no time to upgrade his tacky defense; Shuzumu charged at Izuku, his whips flailing behind him like the tail of a scorpion, ready to strike.

"A **AA** A **AAA** AA **RR** R **RR** \- **G** a **h**!"

Shuzumu coughed, something sharp and hard had hit him; sending his body flying.

Where he once stood was now Chima, his armored claw outstretched.

"T-thanks, ***huff*** Chima…" Izuku heaved, struggling to stay standing and too tired to notice his friend copied him.

The braided man skidded to a halt a few paces from the duo, glaring at the newcomer, " **N** **o** w **y** o **u t** o **o?! J** U **S** T G **I** V **E U** P **A** LRE **AD** Y **!** " Shzumu brought down his hands like he wielded a war hammer, sending a lash of flames at both Izuku and Chima.

"Look out!" The boy brought his hands up, forming a thin barrier that shook and cracked under the force of Shuzumu's attack.

Chima used his armored claws to bat the whip away, chunks of earth falling off after the collision.

" **I** h **a** d **e** no **ug** h **of** th **is,** YO **U'R** E **B** O **TH G** O **IN** G **D** O **W** N **!** "

He lashed out against the youngling, his flames a bright and hungry yellow. Once again, Chima chose to intercept the attack, his armored paw closing in to deflect it. Sparks flew into the air as a result of the collision, and for a brief moment, it seemed like the tongue of flame in front of Chima recoiled back towards its master.

Only to catch the youngling completely by surprise when, as if they were a lasso, the flames coiled around on of his paws.

The flesh that wasn't covered by earth swiftly caught ablaze, adopting a red hue in the blink of an eye. The cub roared out in pain, fighting fruitlessly against the stream of flame that trapped him, his cries echoing throughout the corrals.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOHHHHHH!"

On the other side of the battlefield, two sets of Badgermole ears perked up to the sounds of the cry. Faces morphed into ferocious snarls; the two beasts galloped their way to its source.

"Chima!"

Izuku yelled, his eyes wide. Arm outstretched, he reached out to help his friend, leaving the cover his barrier provided.

"G **O** T **Y** A **!** "

Izuku screamed as the fiery whip warped itself around his left arm, searing the skin that poked through the holes of his gauntlets.  
The world around him ceased to exist. He could only feel the pain on his left arm as Shuzumu's fire ate away at his skin, drinking his vitality.

The fire cremated the membrane of the cells on his forearm, breaching it and killing them instantly; he had to fight the urge to grasp his left arm with his right, for fear of it also getting burned. The boy's cries joined Chima's in the open space, both crying and squirming from the worst pain they have ever felt.

Izuku could feel his grip on conciseness fading, something inside him bubbling up and taking over.

**(Song start: Avatar State OST)**

"GGGGGYYYYAAAAAAAAAAÄ **𝓐** Ã𝔸Å **𝔄** Â𝒜Å𝔄ÀÁ𝔸 **Ä** **𝔄** 𝒜A **Å** Ã **𝔄** À **Ã** 𝔸𝓐À **Ä** 𝔄ÄÃ **𝔸** Á **𝔸** Ä **𝔄** **Ã** 𝔸 **Å** 𝒜𝓐!"

The boy's scream morphed into a monstrous roar, thousands of voices echoing out and screaming with him.

" **W** -W **ha** t t **h** e-?" Shuzumu stumbled back, suddenly feeling a pressure unlike anything he had ever felt pressing him down.

The boy's roar revibrated through the air, stopping the entirety of the fighting as every single soul stared at the holler's source in fear.

Eyes an ethereal white, Izuku yanked his arm back and broke free of Shuzumu's fire lash as if it was made of paper. The two flaming whips burst into smaller embers instantly, losing their shape as they all flickered through the air aimlessly.

That, however, lasted only for a second. Shuzumu watched as the remains of his weapons began to coalesce around Izuku's outstretched arm. A sizzling inferno was soon formed in the boy's palm, it's brightness only outclassed by the white glow of Izuku's eyes.

Slashing the air, Izuku sent forth a blazing ball of fire. The flame consumed Shuzumu, his body blasted away with it.

The fireball sailed through the air and hit the pen's walls, exploding upon impact with a bright flash of light.

Black smoke wafted off the sight of impact, small patches of fire doting the area.

"WHAT THE HELL?! FIRE?!" A poacher yelled, his eyes wide and his body shaking.

"I thought the kid had an earth quirk!" Someone else screamed, coming under Izuku's gaze for just a second.

" _ **!**_ _i_!⭄ **i** _!_ i ** _!_ i**! _i_ **!** "

Bile churned and turned in the poacher's stomach as an ungodly fear took hold over his body, _'Wha-what is this?! What in the world is happening to me?!'_ The muscles on his legs began to fail and the poacher fell to his knees. He felt the air in his lungs being squeezed out, his diaphragm refusing to budge, and not allowing him any intake of breath.  
He grasped his throat in terror, his eyes wide and bloodshot, catching the white glow of Izuku's _'What the hell is he…?!'_

The man fainted.

"𝓡 **Ｒ** 𝕽ʀ **𝐑** ℝ **ᴿ** **ℜ** 𝘙𝑅𝕽ʀ **Ｒ** A **𝓐** Å𝔄 **𝔸** Ã𝒜 **Â** 𝔄 **À** Ä **Á** 𝔸 **𝓐** A **𝔄** À𝒜 **Å** Â **𝔸** ÃÄ **𝔄** Â𝒜 **𝔸𝓐** **Ä** AÀ **𝒜** ÂÄ **𝔄** 𝐻 **ℍ** ℌ **ʜ** 𝐇 **𝕳** Ｈ **𝓗** **ᴴ** !"

The boy roared out again, the white glow in his eyes intensifying before he clenched his fist and hurled it at the concrete floor.

The concrete under the boy's fist began to crack and crackle under the impact, the ground itself groaning under the pressure Izuku produced. Cracks and fissure began to spread out like a tidal wave, forming a spider-web pattern on the floor of the pens.

The ground underneath the poacher's feet collapsed into pieces. Startled, the men lost their balance and watched helplessly as their feet sunk into the various crevices now doting the area around them.

The fissures did not stop there and spread out to the walls, climbing them up at an alarming rate. In mere seconds the entire structure was ridden with cracks and fracture from floor to ceiling, its ability to support itself weakening as a result.

The entire facility groaned under the force of the earthquake. Bolts came loose, the catwalks' chassis' caved in, and soon, hunks of metal dislodged themselves from their place, falling on the scene of battle.

A poacher looked up at the ceiling, his pupils shrinking once he saw what was happening.

"RUN!"

As one, poachers and animals began to flee. Men hid in the empty cells of the Shirshu while the beasts made a run for the cave, the smaller animals hiding protected under the Badgermoles.

Through all of this Chima refused to move away from Izuku's side. With his parents now with him, having made their way over, the three stayed next to the boy-turned-force-of-nature, erecting a shelter made of earth over them.  
Metal chucks clanked and banged against the earthen roof, small chunks of it falling off. The family of Badgermoles stayed huddled together in their shelter, bracing themselves for impact should their first line of defense fail.

Luckily, it didn't need to come to that.

When the quaking stopped, and the dust settled the four of them were the only ones left standing on the battlefield. The animals had all already escaped into the tunnel at the pens' edge, watching over the ruins of the place and the defeated poachers.

Piles of rubble and metal poked their way out of the cracked concrete floor; groaning poachers, either crushed by debris or exposed, laid amidst the ruins.

Satisfied, whatever was currently controlling Izuku's body exhaled one last time before closing its eyes. Still in the pose of punching the earth, the boy's body suddenly became limp and he fell to the ground, groaning in exhaustion.

**(Song end: Avatar State OST)**

"Wha-? What happened? " Izuku croaked, his eyes fluttering open. The boy found himself laying on the concrete floor. He was exhausted beyond comprehension, with a throbbing, burning, pain on his left forearm.

Feeling a gentle pat on his head, Izuku turned to his left and found Chima looking at him apprehensively, nudging his head with his nose. "Chima…" Placing his left palm on the ground the boy tried to lean on it and get up only for a sharp pain the follow through. Hissing, the boy collapsed back into the ground before trying to get up again.

Getting up (this time leaning on his right hand), Izuku found himself almost unable to stay on his feet. With his knees ready to buckle under the strain of his body weight, the boy leaned against Chima to stay standing.

But even with Chima's support, he wouldn't last long. The boy's limbs shook weakly as he panted, beads of sweat dripping off his face.

Izuku was an absolute mess. Numerous bruises and lacerations specked the boy's body, some having dried up while others were still fresh, dripping blood.  
His hair was burned at the edges, tips of the strands a charcoal black and with a flaky texture, losing the fluffiness it was once known for.  
His clothing was shredded; his redshirt was almost more holes than fabric with burned patches and stains of blood littering it. Ash and soot were smeared over his entire body, masking his pale skin behind grim and dust.  
Finally, small burns littered his arms, calves, and chest; a reminder of the fight he had with Shuzumu. The worst of those burns were on his left forearm, where a patch of a violent crimson and blistering skin was.

He was in no position to walk, and they knew it.

Chima coiled his tail around Izuku's waist gently, slowly lifting him up and on top of his back. The boy didn't resist, flopping down on Chima's back, even the simple act of sitting up straight almost too much for him.

Despite his situation, Izuku still smiled weakly when the four of them got out from under their shelter, seeing all the animals in the tunnel waiting for them and the poachers defeated.

They won.

" ***H** u **u** u **u** uu **ff** ff **ff** * ***p** u **u** u **u** u **u** u **uf** f **ff*** "

Izuku and Chima's hearts froze when they heard heavy, labored breathes accompanied by the sound of small debris falling to the ground.

Out of the black crater he was flung to, Shuzumu's body slowly rose, charred debris falling off it. The man was severely burnt, almost all his exposed skin a bright pink and his clothes shriveled and charred.  
Ruby red orbs feverishly burned their gaze on the four of them, the man which they belonged to stepping out of the crater with a crazed expression.

"Y **ou** u **u'r** e **e** e ***hu** ff ***** n **ot** **goin** g **an** y **-wh** e **e** ere… **!** " Shuzumu ground his teeth together, flames building up in his palms, "… **YO** U **DON** 'T G **ET** T **O** J **U** S **T** W **AL** K **AW** A **Y**!"

" **RR** RR **RRRR** R **R** R **AAA** AA **AA** HH **H** H **H** H **HH** HH **HH**!"

Chima and his parents had no choice but to jump to the side as a scourge of fire was slammed against the ground.

Chima had let out a pained yelp when he stepped on his injured paw, the limb buckling and taking the rest of the body with it.

The ground cracked and splintered under the force of the attack, fissures spreading out of the impact zone, adding to the facility's instability further.

"S-stop!" Izuku croaked, barely managing to stay on top of Chima's back, "The building will collapse!"

The ashen man showed no sign he had heard the boy, continuing to thrash with his whips unabated. They struck the floor, walls, catwalks, and support beams without discrimination, sending more and more chunks of rubble in the air.

The facility began to shake again as it began to fail to support itself, startling quite a few of the poachers who began to get up.

"We need to get out of here! Now!" Izuku coughed.

Cracks began to appear on the pen's ceiling, small chunks of it already beginning to fall off and smash into the ground. The screams of panic from the poachers got drowned out by the thunder of the crumbling facility as they ran away for dear life.

Chima tried to get up and run away, but as soon as he put pressure on his injured limb he fell again; he couldn't walk, much less run.

His parent immediately noticed, stopping their strides before they took them.

Refusing to leave Chima and his friend behind, the two adults each took one of the younglings in their mouths; one holding Chima by the scruff of his neck and the other holding Izuku by the hem of his shirt before pouncing away towards freedom.

" **YO** U **'RE** N **OT** G **OI** N **G AN** Y **WHE** R **E**!"

Knouts of flames found themselves wrapped around the two adult's necks, halting their stride and locking them in place. The two hissed as the fire singed their fur, still holding onto Izuku and Chima.

Chima's parents pushed against the restraints, groaning in an effort to break free. Rubble fell on their backs and head, stone shattering on it and metal scraping it; the flames only grew brighter, feeding off the two Badgermoles.

The two did all they could to stop themselves from grinding their teeth together, careful to not injure Chima and Izuku.

The exit was in a direct line of sight from them, dust and debris occasionally falling in the path towards it.

Chima and Izuku were holding them back, they couldn't get away in time with the two younglings with them.

They had to decide.

So they did.

"Huh?" Izuku gasped when he felt his body move backward, the Badgermole holding him cocking her head back. From the corner of his eye, he could see Chima's father doing the same for his friend.

"Wait! What are y-?!"

He did not have enough time to finish the sentence before he and Chima were flung into the air, away from Chima's parents and towards the tunnel. They both landed inside it with a loud thud, rolling on the ground before coming to a stop, nursing a few new bruises.

Pivoting in their spot, the two beasts faced the ashen man with growls on their faces, fighting off against their restraints like rabid dogs against a leash.

" **GGGGGRRRRRRRR…** "

Flickers of flames began to spark off the whips the more they struggled, the captor burning off everything he had in order to win. Sparks hit the wooden remains of crates on the floor, igniting a wall of flames that surrounded the fight.

" **RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Chima's parents roared out in pain when the whips' heat grew, the fire charring the hide around their neck.

Izuku and Chima struggled to get back up on their feet, hissing in pain at any weight that was put under their limbs.  
Neither of them could move, they were forced to watch and listen from where they laid, powerless to do anything.

Chima's parents slammed their paws into the ground, raising a tidal wave of earth around them. The wave rammed into Shuzumu, knocking him back along with the splinters of burned wood, spreading the fire further.

The building groaned louder after their attack hit the wall. Heavier chunks feel and the quacking got stronger.

Their earthbending made things worse.

Their path was now unabated and their time was short. The two pounced forward with everything they had, running towards their breath-hitched cub and his friend.

" **T** H **I** S **IS** N **'** T **OV** E **R** …" Shuzumu coughed as he stood up, glaring at the two retreating Badgermoles.

"I **RE** F **US** E **T** O L **ET** T **HI** S E **ND**! **!**!"

"A **AAAA** AA **AAR** R **RRR** R **RR** RR **R** G **G** G **GGGGG** G **G** GHH **HHH** HHH **H** H **H** H **!**! **!** "

Fiery scourges weaved violently through the air, dragging across the floor and walls, setting everything they touched on fire. Massive cracks began to form on the ceiling, the entire building shaking with the force of a magnitude nine earthquake.

"S-stop…" Izuku grit his teeth, his voice low and his hand outstretched in vain.

Chima's parents darted left and right as they ran, dodging piles of rubble the size of trucks as they made their way to the tunnel's entrance.

***CRACK! ***

Izuku's heart dropped when he saw a chunk of the ceiling the size of five adult Badgermoles dislodge itself. The piece of the ceiling fell to the ground, among a hail of many more, it's decent almost playing out in slow motion.

***BBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM! ***

The sound of two mountains colliding was heard throughout the corrals as the cliff sized boulder crashed into the ground. A large cloud of dust was raised into the air, completely engulfing both of Chima's parents before entering the tunnel, engulfing the boy and the escaped beasts.

" *Cough! * *Cough! * *Cough! * " Izuku hacked, remnants of dust stuck in his mouth.

Vestiges of dust still clanged in the air, making it hard to breathe; slowly dissipating and relieving what they had hidden.

Izuku's eyes widened, taking a sharp intake of breath.

Both of Chima's parents laid beneath a mountain of burning rubble, pinned to the ground. Metal debris was stabbed into their backs, blood dripping off unto singed fur that was still burning, the sound of sizzling coming from where the two met.  
Both of their heads were drooped on the floor, the sound of labored breath barely audible as specks of blood dripped between their lips.

"No…" Tears dripped off Izuku's eyes, silently tapping against the ground.

Chima was devastated, slowly dragging his way to both of his parents. He tried to shake both of them awake desperately, his paws pressed against their bodies. Fat tears caused his eyes to shimmer as he wailed, the cries of a child who had their worst nightmare come to life.

Coughing blood, the two injured Badgermoles lifted their heads, the strain causing the metal debris on top of them to creak. They both looked defeated as they laid there, mourning the future with their cub that was lost.

For a moment, they both appeared to be looking straight at the downed Izuku who still tried desperately to get up, wanting to use whatever he had to at least give them a chance to be saved.

Their expression said otherwise, Izuku recognized that, even though his vision was obstructed with tears.

But their expression held something else as their gaze was locked on Izuku, a request.

Just one.

'Look after him…'

The boy felt his stomach churn at how similar their mannerism was to that of Chima's. The way their ears twitched, the fading twinkle in their eyes, the movement of their burned whiskers, they were the same. He understood what they conveyed to him, just like he could understand Chima.

Sniffing a couple of times, Izuku faintly nodded to the two of them, he couldn't bring himself to speak anymore.

Despite being blind, they seemed to have understood what the boy conveyed. Satisfied, the two turned back to their sobbing cub, tears of their own in their eyes. They pressed their snouts against his, purring as they held contact for the last time.

The moment took both forever and an instant, but, sadly, it came to an end.

Both beasts' heads fell to earth, exhaling a breath of air as they collapsed.

They did not inhale again.


	14. Book 1 chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For my dear readers: If you felt sad or depressed after the ending of that last chapter, I'm sorry.
> 
> Well... not really, HAHAHAHAHAHA! (But seriously, I do feel proud if I managed to make any of you feel anything).
> 
> Moving on from that, you guys(and or girls) have no idea how long I was waiting for this... Book one is officially complete!
> 
> I'm happy to say that the script for Book two is now in development, as well as other little side projects that might pop up. (Rest assured that Book 2 is the #1 priority). Feel free to PM me any ideas you think should be implemented into the story.
> 
> Also, before I forget, I didn't tell any of you guys, but a couple of months ago this fic was featured in the Podcast 'Stranger than (fan)fiction'. It was an absolute honor for me! To have my own writing be read out loud as they did in the Podcast just felt incredible! I have been in touch with them since then, and we might cooperate again in future projects, please check them out on ' episodes'!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.
> 
> I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.
> 
> I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.
> 
> 'Boku no Hero Academia' is owned by Shueisha, studio Bones, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Funimation, and Kohei Horikoshi.
> 
> 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'Avatar the Legend of Korra' are owned by Vaicon, Nickelodeon, Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.
> 
> Please support the official releases of all these amazing series.
> 
> And as always, thanks for the beta-read Earl John Diawatan.

**土**

BOOK ONE:

**EARTH**

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

**PARENTS AND HEROES**

* * *

"All right, everyone ready to start?" Izuku asked his fellow players, juggling the football he brought along with him using his legs.

The boy stood with his team of Badgermoles on the left side of an Earth-ball field they had constructed, using small indents in the ground to signal the court's edges and goals.

"Wait a minute…" Izuku squinted his eyes once he gazed over his team, noticing one of them was missing, "Chima! Where are you?" he called out loud, "We can't start without you! Four-on-five isn't fair!"

"*Whir! *"

The boy turned around when he heard the loud drone he was oh so familiar with, finding his best friend walking around a stalagmite and making his way towards them. Behind the youngling, Izuku could see Chima's parents following behind, their heavy footsteps almost leaving indents in the moss-covered floor of the cavern.

"Hey there, buddy!" Izuku ran and met Chima in the middle, ruffling the fur on his snout.

He received a lick on his cheek before Chima went and joined the rest of the team, his parents squatting down to watch the game like a couple of proud parents.

"Okay… Everyone ready **now**?" Izuku asked again, looking over his team and the enemy's. Seeing that everyone was in place, the boy positioned himself in the middle of his team's territory.

Izuku held the ball under his right foot, an eager smile on his face. "Ready or not, here we go!"

The boy winds his leg backwards and kicked the ball as hard as he could, raising his arms in a curve to create an angled ramp for the ball.

The ball climbed on it without issue, rolling along its trail which went around an enemy Badgermole; heading straight towards the goal.

Reacting quickly, the enemy goalkeeper stopped the ball with a well-timed pillar, sending it back towards Izuku's team.

Chima was the one to intercept it, catching it with his paws before passing it along to a teammate.

The Badgermoles began to pass the ball to one another, building up speed as the ball hit one earth pillar after the other.

"I'm open! I'm open!" Izuku called out, flailing his hands in the air.

Not even a second later and the ball was heading his way. Squinting, Izuku stomped the ground and thrust his hands forward. A column burst forth from underneath the ball, sending it flying towards the goal in high velocity.

Try as they might, the enemy team couldn't intercept the ball in time, unable to do anything as it sailed into their gate.

"GOAL!" Izuku laughed, running around in a small circle, celebrating the small victory.

"We did it, Chima!" It was with a smile that Izuku turned around to face where his friend should be, celebrating as well.

He saw no one there.

"Huh?" Izuku smile faded into a confused frown, "Chima?"

The greenette made his way to where Chima was supposed to be, the scene around him fading as he did so. The fireflies that usually floated in the ambiance faded away, giving away to dust particles that began to block his field of vision. The moss that was on the floor withered away with each step he took, the soft ground losing its' life and becoming hard and cold. Finally, Izuku felt the sweet scent of the cavern, and the cool humidity that accompanied it, slowly decaying away. The boy scrunched his nose at the foul air that replaced it. Beneath a predominating lair of smoke and ash, Izuku's nose picked on rotten food, animal excrements, and the metallic scent of blood. The malodor was foul and suffocating, making any intake of breath almost torture; it was like setting foot in a burned dump.

"What is going on?" He asked aloud, his voice echoing out in what could've been a dusty void for all intents and purposes.

The dust began to thin out eventually, thanks to in part of Izuku fanning it away.

The new sight that greeted him was nothing like the old one.

He was back in the pens of the Tōu Liè Zhě base, the last place he ever wanted to visit again. The cages that were built into the walls were jam-packed with all the animals of the cavern, packed together so tight that they were piled one atop the other. All the beasts stared at him with tired, bloodshot eyes, either asking for his help or blaming him for their current situation.

But it was the sight in the pens' middle that affected him the most.

A large heap of burnt flesh, bones, fur, and claws rested in the room's middle, small fires still burning on it as columns of smoke got sent out into the air.

The bodies of Chima and his parents laid in front of the boy, skewered by burning metal and crushed by debris.

Izuku collapsed to his knees, his eyes wide and his stomach churning at the image. _"N-noooo…"_ A choked sob escaped his dry mouth, his heart beating a mile a minute.

" **h** e **H** aH **aH** a…" A dry and imposing laugh reverberated through the air, reminding Izuku too much of crackling flames eating away flesh. The boy looked up and found his gaze locked with that of the man who reeked of ash.

The branch leader stood on the bodies of Chima's family, his flaming whips feeding into the fire that consumed their remains.

" **Y** o **u** **di** dn **'t** t **hin** k yo **u** c **ou** ld **re** al **l** y **s** a **ve** t **he** m **,** d **id** y **a**? **! W** ort **hl** e **s** s **D** ek **u?**!" The man cackled, staring down the terrified and mourning child.

"Y **O** U B **RO** UG **H** T **TH** IS **O** N Y **OUR** SE **LF!**! **!** "

The flames from the Badgermole's bodies spread out in all directions, slowly eating away at the nightmarish site.

Izuku's body was locked in place, staring helplessly at the bodies of his best friend and those who meant the world to him.

And then, the flames consumed him as well.

* * *

"GGYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Izuku screamed and shot upright, finding himself in his room, sitting on his bed. _"It was a dream…"_ the boy panted, his voice shaky, _"It was just a dream…"_

Izuku closed his eyes and focused, trying to even out his labored breath.

Even without the scream, it was quite evident the poor child was not in the best of states.

Bandages and gauzes covered almost every single spot on the boy's body; warping around almost every patch of skin not covered by his clothes, hiding the injuries beneath them. Cold sweat ran down his body, some of it absorbed by the white fabric of the bandages or his All-Might themed pajamas.

The boy hugged his blanket closer for comfort. But even the wrinkled image of the smiling All-Might on it failed to draw a smile from him, something the kid once thought impossible.

"Squee…?"

A soft and high-pitched squeak came from behind the boy, and Izuku stopped his panting. "Huh?" he turned around to its source, an apologetic smile that didn't reach his eyes on his face, "Sorry, Mimi. I woke you up." **[1]**

Laying on the bed, near Izuku's pillow, was a groggy-looking Lop-eared Rabbit. The small rodent appeared exactly as she did a week ago when Izuku met her: the same white fur with specks of black on her back and right eye. The only 'difference' one could spot was the squashed down fur on her side, a result of a sleeping Izuku draping his arm over her.

The black & white quadruped blinked up at the boy, concern evident on her features.

"I-it's nothing…" The boy averted his gaze, "Just had a nightmare again…"

The small rabbit made no sound in reply, having been in this exact situation almost every day for a week now. Instead, she stood up and sat on the boy's lap, allowing him to pet her and calm down.

"Thanks." The boy absent-mindedly stroked her fur, letting the only sound in the room be the gentle chattering of her teeth **[2]**.

***Knock - knock – knock! ***

At least until the knocks came.

"Izuku, are you okay in there?" A masculine voice called out from the other side of the room's door, quickly followed by it being opened and the head of Hisashi Midoriya poking inside, "I heard a scream, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, dad." The son replied, the rabbit on his lap glaring at Hisashi as if he was about to attack them, "Just had a bad dream…"

"Oh. Do you want to talk about it?" Hisashi asked the same question he and Inko did for a week. And just like before, his son merely shook his head in denial. "*Sigh* Breakfast is ready. Although, considering the time, it could be lunch."

Izuku was not surprised when he heard that, he had been waking up late ever since he got discharged from the hospital.

Hisashi soon walked out the door, leaving Izuku to change out of his pajamas and join them on the table.

"He had another nightmare." Hisashi sighed as he sat in front of Inko, not paying any mind to the re-heated breakfast they made a couple of hours ago.

"Did he say anything about it?" Inko asked, her expression and voice as concerned as her husband's.

"No…" Hisashi dropped his head in shame as if it was his fault their son was so tight-lipped about what was bothering him. "I-it's just… that… it's eating me alive seeing him like this!" The man blurted out, his eyes still not looking up. "He had been like this ever since he woke up in the hospital. He doesn't speak to any of us, he shuts himself in his room all day; and for the entire week, whenever I walk past his door I… _I hear him cry_ …" Hisashi's voice broke, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "We don't know anything about what happened to him, and he refuses to tell us! What if it happens again?! What if next time he will get hurt even more?! What if-?!"

"Hisashi…"

The man stopped rambling when he felt a warm hand rest itself on his. Looking up, he found that it was Inko's.

"Breathe…"

He did as he was told, letting his heart calm down.

"I'm worried about him too…" Inko started, " I remember how he acted before he got his quirk, it broke my heart seeing him so depressed all the time…" She frowned at the memory of those months, "And now it's even worse. We **need** to talk to him about this, whether he wants to or not."

"It's easier said than done." Hisashi crossed his arms, "We tried asking him the entire week. I doubt more goading from our part will change anything."

"Hummmm…" Inko hummed, "I think I might have an idea…?" She murmured, unsure of herself, as she took her phone out of her pocket, "If anything it's worth a shot… maybe this new approach will yield us results…"

Before Hisashi had got the chance to ask his wife about her 'new approach' to handling their boy, the topic of the conversation entered the kitchen. Izuku slugged his way to his seat with Mimi following him, just as his mother got off her phone.

As per the week-long tradition in the house dictated, both parents regarded the rabbit with a raised brow, a bit of curiosity, and a sense of apprehension.

The rabbit, or 'Mimi' as Izuku called it, was something neither of them understood. Either way, Izuku seemed to be feeling more at ease in its presence, so, for now, they both held their tongues about their opinion of her.

Mainly the opinion of its habit of jumping on the table during meals.

Izuku, on his part, remained unresponsive as he ate, poking his rice with his chopsticks. He didn't even mind that Mimi took nibbles out of his sliced vegetables.

"Izuku,"

The boy lifted his head, his dull eyes staring at his mother.

"You need to eat your vegetables. They're for you, not the rabbit." Inko chided.

"Ok…" The boy muttered, taking the vegetables Mimi hadn't touched and shoved them into his mouth.

The rest of the meal wasn't any different. Only the occasional short sentence spoken between them as Izuku played with his food halfheartedly.

* * *

"Izuku, it's time to replace your bandages!" Inko told her son after they were done with breakfast.

Izuku grimaced but nodded none the less. The boy followed his mother into the bathroom; leaving his father alone to wash the dishes.

He took off his clothes, rending his body bare of clothing except for his underwear, and revealed just how many injuries he had suffered. Large patches of the boy's skin were discolored a prominent violet, now much lighter than they were a week ago. The most noticeable of those was a giant bruise that stretched over the entire back thigh of his right leg, causing the boy to wince when he was sat down on a stool in the middle of the bathroom.  
More injuries were covered by at least a dozen gauze pads that specked Izuku's arms, chest, and back like large and white chickenpox, each hiding one of the boy's many burn wounds. Bandages were wrapped around the boy's body like a mummy: forming bracelets on his limbs, coiling around his stomach, and looping around his left shoulder. The most heavily dressed area, however, was Izuku's left forearm, where a thick bandage was tied all the way from his elbow to his wrist.

With her son sitting silently on the stool, Inko began to work. One at a time, the mother uncurled Izuku's bandages or peeled off a gauze, gently cleaning the revealed wound and applying lotion to it if necessary. She didn't reapply his bandages just yet, allowing his wounds to breathe as well as making it easier for her to see which injuries she hadn't treated yet.

All the while her son remained silent, only occasionally wincing and flinching in pain if she accidentally aggravated one of his wounds.

The mother felt the urge to cry every time she removed a gauze or a bandage from her little boy and exposed even more of his wounds, seeing for herself just how badly he was hurting. Her little Izuku was in obvious pain over the course of the last week, both physical and emotional if his behavior was any indication.

The mother gently brushed her hand over Izuku's left shoulder blade, smearing lotion on a large burn wound there. _'There are just so many…'_ Inko's expression drooped even further; Even if she was told the exact extent of her son's injuries, it did not make it any easier to see them in person.

If anything, it only made things worse…

* * *

***One week ago***

The last twelve or so hours had been nothing short of nightmarish to the Midoriya family.

It all started when Izuku didn't come home by seven; An event that had never happened before since at seven and a half on a Saturday is when they would call Hisashi. Just like any mother, that delay had made her worry. But she just shook her head and said to herself that her son probably lost his sense of time.

Her little boy was probably having too much fun with his friends to notice…

And that was what she told her husband once the weekly call between them connected:

"Izuku probably just got caught up playing with his friends, I'm sure he will open the door and walk in any second."

So the two of them waited, staying on the line for when Izuku would come barging in.

First, it was for five minutes.

Then fifteen.

Then it was half an hour.

And by the one-hour mark, both parents were frantically walking around in nervous circles in their living rooms, each in his own corner of the world.

So, like any rational parent, Inko called the police and reported her son missing.

It was at times like these that the mother was happy for the hero system. Since without it, unless she had sufficient evidence that her son was kidnapped, the police wouldn't actively search for him, leaving her to rely on a P.I to find him. **[3]**

And whatever-high-deity was out there knew she and Hisashi couldn't afford that.

The husband and wife stayed on the phone the entire night, both too desperate to do anything but console each other until they were at least told their son was found.

They knew the police were searching the park near home, where Inko knew Izuku spent most of his time. But despite the small search area, the couple did not get any calls regarding their boy; and that ate away at them both.

If Izuku wasn't at the park, that meant there was a high possibility he was taken by villains! And that thought alone was enough for both parents to have a breakdown.

It was only around five in the morning when they got a call from the police.

Their son was found just outside of the park, unconscious and severely injured.

Inko was out of her apartment in less than a minute, her feat of speed only bested by her husband who had already booked a flight back to Japan.

The journey to the hospital passed by as a blur for the woman. And in no time at all, she found herself roaming the hallways of Musutafu General.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Her head turned from left to right, looking for her son's hospital room as she dodged strolling patients and hurrying doctors and nurses.

"There!", The mother stopped in front of a plain white door, one of many that dotted the hallway.

A sigh near the door read 'Room 184, patient: Midoriya Izuku'.

Without bothering to knock, Inko burst into the room and found her baby boy lying asleep on the only cot in the chamber. His body was bandaged from head to toe and an I.V drip was poking into his arm.

"Aaawww… IZUKUUUUU!" Fat tears specked the corner of Inko's eyes at the sight of her hurting son. She ran forward, prepared to wrap his unconscious body in a hug before the sound of a growl stopped her.

"*Grrrrr…*"

The mother jumped back in surprise, blinking in confusion at the rabbit that she found resting on her son's chest, growling at her. The small black & white rodent kept a steady gaze on the young woman, the tips of her long ears clenched like little fists.

A part of Inko wondered how she missed the quirked animal when she first entered the room. Another part of her wondered what it was doing here in the first place, sitting on her injured son like he was some couch.

But before she got the chance to shoo the little menace away, a feminine voice from behind her interrupted. " Oh! I heard you were on your way. I take that you're the child's mother?"

Inko turned around and found herself face to face with a short woman wearing the typical white lab-coat of a doctor. That lab-coat was the only indication of the woman's occupation, however, as she opted to wear a short dark green dress underneath it which was accompanied by a pair of extremely-high-heeled shoes. Adding her messy dark-blue bob cut and somewhat goth-like makeup didn't exactly contribute to her physician image, either.

The doctor pushed a stray hair out of her eye, offering a gentle smile towards the mother, "Nice to meet you. I am Tae Takemi, the doctor in charge of your son's care. And I see you have already met her…" Takemi pointed at the rabbit who kept glaring at them both, her body rising and falling with Izuku's chest.

Inko glared back at the rabbit, clearly dissatisfied about her sitting arrangements. "What is a rabbit doing in a hospital?" She asked, "And more importantly, why is it sitting on my son? He's injured!"

Takemi sighed, "We tried to separate the rabbit from your son, miss, but there were… complications…"

Inko only raised a brow at the young doctor, silently asking her to continue.

"The police found her along with your son. Apparently, she sat near his unconscious body and refused to move, growling at whoever stepped too close. When the ambulance came and the paramedics went to take your son away, she went mad, biting and pouncing at the medics and swatting them away with those ears of hers. They actually pack quite a punch…"

Takemi stiffened a giggle at that last part, remembering an earlier incident the rabbit had with one of her fellow doctors whom she disliked.

"They decided to take her with them eventually. Both because they didn't want to deal with her tantrum, and because if word got out that there was a loose quirked animal in Musutafu, people will go nuts over it. *Sigh* She refused to leave him for even a second; luckily, she did calm down a bit once she saw us tending to his wounds. Doesn't mean she likes any of us, though."

"She… she tried to… defend Izuku…?" Inko gaped, unbelieving.

"Seems like it…" Takemi nodded, "Whatever is the full extent of her quirk it definitely boosts a part of her intelligence. She displayed cognitive capabilities that are equal, if not greater, to elephants and dolphins. She even deliberately sat on his chest; where your son is the least injured."

Inko probably would've gaped at the small rodent even more if not for Takemi's last sentence. At once, she remembered her reason for being here, berating herself for forgetting about it in the first place. Her expression soured almost immediately, her gaze falling back on her son's beaten face.

Seeing what Inko was looking at, Takemi sighed and combed over her writing board, she hated how packed it was. "While, luckily, your son seems to have no fractures, there are quite clear indicators that Izuku suffered from severe blunt force trauma. Approximately 23% of his body has bruises ranging from light and mild to serious ones. On top of that, when he got here, he also suffered from dehydration and physical fatigue. His blood tests showed dangerously low levels of blood sugar and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. Frankly, it's as if something drained away his vitality and then he had to endure massive physical strain, maybe even quirk overuse."

"Izukuuuuu…" Inko sat on a chair near Izuku's bed, clasping her hand in his. The rabbit growled at her proximity for a couple of seconds, quieting down after seeing she wasn't moving any closer.

"We'll have to keep Izuku in the hospital for a couple of days, at least until his blood sugar is back to normal. After that, he will be discharged and allowed to go home with you. Though I don't recommend letting him go outside for at least a week after that, his bruises will still need to heal, and it will hurt for him to move too much because of it. Hopefully, in two weeks, he will have recovered completely."

Inko sighed in relief when she heard that, her baby will be okay.

"Well… almost complete recovery…"

"W-what do you mean?" Inko asked the doctor, fear evident in her eyes.

"In addition to all the injuries I listed so far, your son seems to have several burn wounds on his body, and they are what troubles me most…"

Inko looked over her son's body again, seeing for herself that he was covered head to toe in bandages. So far, sans the burn wounds, Takemi hadn't listed an injury that would warrant them.

The mother blanched, "A-a-are… a-all t-those… b-burn wounds?"

The doctor only solemnly nodded back at her, confirming her fears. "Yes, they are. There is a total of twenty-four of them. Luckily, most are only first degree and they will heal naturally on their own without scarring.  
**But** , Izuku does have a few superficial partial-thickness burns and one deep partial-thickness burn; second degree. Keep in mind that if the lighter ones won't be treated properly, they might scar too."

Inko nodded, making a mental note to go to a pharmacy as soon as possible and procure more burn cream for her son.

"Now, I just want you to know that there is a possibility that a few of those minor second-degree burns will scar, even with proper treatment, so don't go blame yourself should it happen," Takemi explained further, her gaze landing apprehensively on the boy's left forearm.  
"As for his deep partial-thickness burn, I'm sorry to tell you but it **will** scar, badly. You might want to look at skin grafts, but I would hold off on that for now. Izuku is still young, so the scar will fade exponentially over time. There is no reason for running the risks of a skin graft for something that will barely be noticeable in ten years or so."

For a beat, silence dominated the room; the doctor letting the mother digest the information dump.

"Is… Is there anything more I need to know?" Inko asked, her tone barely above a whisper as she watched her son's frowning and twitching face; even in sleep, he wasn't allowed peace.

"Concerning his injuries? No, I told you everything." Takemi replied and he saw Inko's shoulder relaxing just the tiniest bit. "Though there is one thing you might need to know…"

The mother looked back at her, urging her to go on.

"Seeing that we don't know what exactly happened to your son; an investigation will more than likely be opened about it. Considering the nature of some of his injuries, such as his burns, it led some of us to believe your son was assaulted by a villain."

"A-a villain..." Inko tightened her grip on Izuku's hand as if fearing he would disappear if she let go, "Are you sure?"

"I am almost certain." The doctor nodded "His injuries… they definitely didn't come from an accident."

Having finished her report, the doctor went on and did a quick check-up on Izuku before quietly leaving the hospital room, reminding Inko to call for her should Izuku wake up or something went wrong.

The mother was left to blankly stare at her child as he slept a troubled rest on the cot, every one of his injuries hurting her as if they were inflicted on **her** body…

_'A villain did this to him.'_

Izuku wouldn't wake up until the afternoon of the next day, the first sight he saw was the concerned faces of both of his parents. Ever since then, Izuku shut himself in and didn't tell anyone what happened; acting like an unbreakable wall in the faces of his mother, father, and the police officer who came to ask him questions.

* * *

Inko felt Izuku shudder under her touch; the rabbit on her son's lap casting her an accusatory glare as a result. "Sorry sweetie," The mother pulled her hand away, eyeing the burn mark on her son's shoulder to make sure she hadn't missed a spot with the lotion. "We're almost done, only the burn on your arm is left."

The boy silently nodded, extending his left arm towards her. He looked away, not wanting to see the wound that was there.

Inko couldn't blame him. Treating her son's wounds was hard as is, but **that** injury was by far the worst.

She fumbled with the bandages around his forearm for a second, her hands shaking.

Slowly but surely, the bandages fell to the floor, their descent as slow as a feather.

It was as hard to look at as it was the first time.

The mark started below his wrist before it began to climb up his upper forearm, curving a bit before it came to a stop a few inches away from his elbow. Small tongues of light pink skin protruded from the main scar, like the flame that seared his flesh was obstructed there by something. The rest was a crimson red, deepening and thickening at the center of his forearm, taking the most violent shade of carmine Inko had ever seen. The skin there felt dry and wrinkly to the touch, feeling more akin to that of an elderly man rather than a small boy's.

It looked as if a living, breathing, flame decided to imprint its image onto her son, using the most aggressive way possible to do so; leaving her poor baby scarred for life.

After she was done with the wound on his forearm, Inko began to re-dress his numerous injuries, one at a time until he was bandaged from head to toe again. Now done, Izuku got up from the stool and put back on his shirt and pants, trudging back to his room with Mimi following behind him.

***Knock - knock – knock! ***

But before he managed to reach the door to his room a soft knock was heard from the front door, someone was waiting outside.

"Oh! She's here already?" Inko looked at the clock that was hanged on the wall, confirming for herself that it was past noon. "Yukimura-sensei's a bit early… then again, today's Saturday so they have only a half-day in school. Izuku, can you open the door for her?"

Ever since Izuku was injured he had been unable to walk outside, much less go to school. Refusing to let one of her students fall behind like this, Yukimura-sensei took it upon herself to **personally** come over to Izuku's house and tutor him on what he missed, though even to her Izuku turned the cold shoulder. Inko and Hisashi were quite thankful for her efforts, insisting that she stayed a bit longer after she and Izuku were done for tea.

Nodding his head, the boy pivoted and changed his course to the front door, fully expecting to find his homeroom teacher on the other side.

However, after he unlocked the door and opened it up, letting the light of the sun creep into the apartment, it was not the young teacher whom he saw.

Instead, Izuku found himself face to face with a small girl about his age. Her short dark-purple hair looked exactly like it did the day the two met, her fringe now almost covering her violet eyes.

The boy almost recoiled back in his surprise, his shoulders tensing and jerking back for a second. "J-Jiro-b-san?" He squeaked, half surprised half afraid of the young girl.

Jirou herself stared at Izuku with wide eyes, her gaze flickering between the many bandages that wrapped his body. _"W-what i-in the world happened to you?"_ She murmured; her voice struck with horror.

Izuku averted his gaze, his eyes shadowed by his curly hair. "I…I don't want to talk about it…"

"S-sorry! I just blurted it out!" Jiro's hands fumbled in the air, her face reddening. "It wasn't my place to ask you that!"

Before the two could continue with the 'conversation' further, Inko's voice called out from within the apartment," Izuku, don't keep Yukimura-sensei outside! Invite… her…" It was by that point that Inko appeared behind her son and saw for herself why it took him so long. "…in…?"

"Oh!" Inko exclaimed, "You're not Yukimura-sensei! Are you one of Izuku's classmates?"

"Y-yes!" Jiro nodded, "Yukimura-sensei was busy and couldn't make it. She asked me to bring the homework to Midoriya-san and help him with it." It was only then that Izuku noticed that her backpack was particularly bloated, probably holding all the assignments he would need to do.

"Awww! That's so nice of you!" The green-haired woman beamed at the girl, "Why don't you come in. Do you want anything to eat?"

"N-no! There's no need!", the purple-haired girl denied as she walked in, "I hate imposing on you as is…"

"Nonsense! You are helping my son catch up on his studies! That's the least I can do!"

With that Inko hurried over to the kitchen, leaving Izuku to lead Jiro to his room.

* * *

As soon as Tsukauchi and Tanuma pulled over near the crime scene, they both knew today was going to be a long one.

It started out normally for the duo. Come to the precinct, sit at the desk, maybe grab a third cup of coffee; the usual routine they developed over the last week. The monotony was soon broken, however, when Tanuma received a call from an old acquaintance.

Apparently, something big went down in southern Shizuoka, and they requested them specifically to help deal with it. And so, the two of them found themselves in Tanuma's black 184 Mirage, heading towards the Izu peninsula.

Back in the present, both detectives stepped out of the car, looking around at the scene.

A small army of police vehicles was parked in front of a massive facility in the middle of the woods, surrounding it with a barrier of cars and vans. Specking the sea of black & white vehicles were some ambulances as well, their emergency lights flashing but their sirens were silent.

Heroes and cops stood between the vehicle line and the building. They held numerous conversations, watching more heroes and cops exit the building and bringing out either cuffed individuals or people in body bags.

To his right, Tsukauchi saw Manual talk to Snatch as they pushed along a braided villain in a stretcher. The black-haired man appeared to be suffering from severe burns on his arms; the wounds poking out of his shoddily done bandages. The heroes, with the help of some cops, loaded the unconscious man onto an ambulance, sending him off to a villain hospital.  
Best Jeanist and Edgeshot, both top ten heroes, were busy talking to Endeavor in Taukauchi's peripheral. And while only the flame-hero's face was visible, it was apparent all three of them wore scowls on their faces. Up near the facility's entrance, Tsukauchi could see half of the wild-wild pussy cats, Mandalay and Ragdoll, along with half of the Water Hose duo. Since he couldn't see the other half of either team, he inferred they must be inside the facility.

It almost appeared as if every hero in southern Japan sans All Might was present, either talking to cops or helping with the loading of dozens of criminals into custody.

The rookie detective had to struggle and not gape at it all. This was probably the largest raid Japan had seen in almost a decade!

"So you're finally here…" A drawling voice called out to them both, causing the detective to pivot and confront the man who called them.

Tsukauchi found himself staring at a younger man with long and unkempt hair and a ragged black outfit; the man stared back at him, his expression not betraying anything about what he felt. With his unshaven face, blood-shot eyes, and drab choice of attire, he could've easily passed himself off as a hobo. However, even those with a little experience in them could easily tell otherwise.

"Ah, Eraserhead!" Tanuma greeted the man with a friendly wave, "Long time no see! How you've been?"

The man, Eraserhead, grumbled at Tanuma's jovial tone, "It's not rational to hold chit-chat in a crime scene, Tanuma. And that's certainly not why I called you here."

"Then why did you?" Tanuma asked. "While I do like seeing old friends, I don't see why you need me and Tsukauchi here." He said, pointing to the tall detective as he spoke, "From the looks of it you already have everything covered."

"O-Oh! I-I'm Tsukauchi, nice to meet you." Tsukauchi extended a hand to shake when he felt the hero's stare linger on him.

Begrudgingly, Eraserhead shook his hand, murmuring a "Likewise…" before going on to explain the situation.

"Earlier this week, a local hero apprehended a villain in the outskirts of Izu. After bringing the villain in for questioning, the police found out that he was a part of the Tōu Liè Zhě, the international poaching organization that's been active in Asia for almost two hundred years."

 _'Tōu Liè Zhě…? Didn't Tanuma and I talked about them a week ago?'_ Tsukauchi recalled.

"Obviously, the villain didn't talk." Eraserhead continued, "But thanks to some investigation, and the fact no one saw the man in any populated area recently, they managed to guess a rough idea of where he came from. After a few days of searching, the police found this place, and just this morning we heroes raided the facility."

"You already raided it?" Tsukacuhi asked, looking around him. While there were a few scuffs and bruises on some of the heroes, most of them seemed just fine.

That was suspicious.

He participated in his fair share of raids before as a beat cop. He knew firsthand how often people, heroes, and cops alike, had to leave the site on ambulances, all the more so when a raid was as big as this one.

"Yes, we did." Eraserhead nodded, "Since the Tōu Liè Zhě is one of the largest criminal organizations in the world and we had no idea what we would be dealing with, the Commission decided to bring in as many heroes as possible."

Eraserhead took a deep sigh before continuing, "Imagine our surprise when we got in and found the place already in ruins."

Tanuma gasped, "What happened? There's obviously no way that a hero was responsible, he would've reported it."

"We're not sure." Eraserhead admitted, "Apparently, a large portion of the base's manpower fled days ago. The only people left were either already dead or had complete loyalty to the organization. We are currently bringing them all out."

Both detectives frowned upon hearing this. Who knows how many villains got away.

"FUCK YOU, ATAMA!"

Someone behind Eraserhead yelled, causing all three men to look at the voice's source.

They saw Gunhead there, carrying towards one of the police vans a tall man who looked suspiciously like him, only shorter and with darker hair.

"Oh, come on, cuz! Don't be like that!" Gunhead replied with a joyful voice, "Auntie's been awaiting your return for years! After you've done your time, we'll welcome you back to the family with a huge party! I can hardly wait!"

The three men sweatdropped as Gunhead loaded his cousin onto the van as the poacher kept throwing profanities at him. Gunhead took it all in stride, chiding his cousin to be a 'Good boy' in prison so he could get out sooner.

"Anyways…" Eraserhead moved on after casting one final look at the cousins, "After a thorough search of the facility we found a pens facility in the lowest floor, pretty standard stuff for a poaching organization. The catch was that it was empty, not to mention almost completely destroyed. In other words, whatever happened there resulted in either the theft or release, of potential dozens of quirked animals."

"This is big," Tanuma muttered, his chin held in his hand. "Have you questioned the villains yet about what happened?"

"Not all of them." The hobo-looking man replied, "And most of them were obviously lying when we questioned them. Hell, one of them even told us a **kid** with a fire and earth quirk did this."

"That's the problem when dealing with an organization…" Tanuma sighed, "The criminal's loyalty can be a tough wall to break. Not to mention that with so many people it's going to be almost impossible to discern which statement is real and which is fake… I assume that's why you called us, then?"

"Yes." The hero nodded, his gaze – as well as Tanuma's – landing on the rookie detective.

"I want you to be a part of the investigation on what happened here." Eraserhead told Tsukauchi, "This case, while being kept under wraps, is definitely the largest incident we had in years, with ramifications that could be catastrophic for all we know. So far, the **best** -case scenario we can think of is that we have hundreds of quirked animals and criminals on the loose; imagine how much damage they could cause if they stumbled into a city."

He did, and he did not like it.

"That's why we need to figure out what happened as quickly as possible, which means we'll have to get and read through dozens of different statements from uncooperative individuals. We don't have much time to spare, and your quirk can be just the time saver we need."

"That's why I, Eraserhead, a licensed pro hero, give you permission to use your quirk however you wish to solve this case."

Tsukauchi nodded, understanding the responsibility that had been entrusted upon him. "When do I start?"

* * *

The door to the boy's room opened with a soft creak, the two kids stepping in in silence.

"Wow. That's… a lot of All Might." Kyoka was the first one to speak, darting her head from one side to the next in an attempt to comprehend just how much All-Might memorabilia was in the room.

"Yeah…" Midoriya's cheeks turned pinker, "He's my favorite hero…"

The two maintained an uncomfortable silence for a while after, neither too sure what they should say next.

Kyoka still wasn't sure what she was doing here. She wasn't the smartest student in the class, she didn't live the closest to Izuku, and she **certainly** wasn't close to him as friends. Hell, they didn't even so much as **speak** since they met on the first day of first grade (Though, admittedly, that was kind of _her_ fault).

_'But Yukimura-sensei asked **me** to help Midoriya… why?'_

The girl decided to leave that be for now. She said yes to her request anyway, might as well follow through with it. After all, it wouldn't be very rocking to go back on her word.

Midoriya's mom and dad soon came into the room, one holding a plater full of snacks and juice for them and the other bringing in another chair. "Good luck with your homework, Izuku!" Hisashi called, "We're entrusting him to you, Jiro-san! Call us if you need anything." They cast one last look at their son before leaving the room, rendering both kids oblivious to the identical thought that ran through their heads:

**_'Izuku has a girl in his room! He grows up way too fast!'_ **

The two kids remained silent after they left, looking at one another like the other was an exhibit in the zoo.

It was only the almost-silent thump of feet hitting wood that finally broke through the staring contest, causing both Midoriya and Kyoka to dart their gaze to the desk.

"Mimi!" Midoriya almost yelled, lifting the rabbit up and away from the snack tray. "That food is for Jiro-san! You can't just take what you want!". The boy then turned to Kyoka with an apologetic expression on his face, "Sorry about that, Jiro-san."

"Wha-what is that?" Kyoka stared at the rabbit in Midoriya's hands with wide eyes. The rabbit, or Mimi if she heard right, looked up at her with a small scowl, as if she blamed her that she wasn't allowed to eat what she wanted from the tray.

"That's…" Midoriya paused as if he wasn't sure what the answer was himself. The boy sat down on a chair slowly, taking care not to aggravate his wounds, and let the rabbit-like creature sit on his lap. "Her name's Mimi… and she's… my rabbit…?"

"Her ears…" Kyoka murmured as she stared at the rodent, her face gaped in awe. "I never saw an animal with a quirk before… where did you get her?"

"I… I found her in the park…" was all that he said, his voice low.

But the girl did not miss the detail that Midoriya's gaze turned away from her, now directed at one of the All-Might posters with fake curiosity. She eyed once more his many bandages, feeling a bit weak in the knees from the sight of it. _'That rabbit **definitely** has something to do with his injuries…' _she inferred, comparing his current expression to the one he made when she asked him about his wounds. But it wasn't her place to pry, so she wouldn't. Still though, she felt bad about getting the boy in the dumps like that…

"She's beautiful…" Kyoka stated, both attempting to alter the mood and actually meaning it. The girl extended a hesitant hand forward, "Do you mind if I pet her?"

Midoriya shook his head, his gaze once more focusing on her. "Not at all. But Mimi's kind of aggressive towards anyone who isn't me. She might bite you if you come too close…"

"Easy there…" Kyoka's hand was mere centimeters away from Mimi's head, the appendage shaking a bit in agitation.

Mimi sniffed apprehensively at the extended hand, her head craning just the tiniest bit forward.

The two slowly but surely got closer to one another; until, eventually, they both met.

 _'Her fur is so fluffy…'_ Tiny sparkles danced in Kyoka's purple irises as she gently caressed the white fur on top of Mimi's head.

Mimi's teeth were chattering gently, her eyes closed as she savored the touch of the girl's soft hands.

From the corner of her eye, Kyoka could see Midoriya's gaped mouth slowly shift into a small smile; the first she saw from him since the last time they talked… on the day they met.

"Hey, Midoriya-san?", Midoriya's gaze left Mimi and focused on Kyoka's face. The girl maintained eye contact, though it appeared she was struggling to do so. "You remember the day we met? When I used my quirk on you after you mistook me for a boy?"

Midoriya nodded, rubbing his ears as if they still hurt.

Kyoka sighed, _'Here goes nothing…'._ "I'm sorry for that. You made an honest mistake and I lashed out at you. So… I'm sorry for hurting you."

"N-n-no!" Midoriya jumped back, holding his hands out like he was asking her to stop. "I insulted you! You had every right to lash out! I should be the one apologizing!"

"But you didn't mean to!" Kyoka shot back, "You didn't mean to hurt my feelings, you just made a mistake. I was the one in the wrong! **I** need to apologize!"

"*Growl…*"

"Huh?"

The two would've probably kept arguing if not for Mimi's intervention. The small rabbit growled aloud with a high-pitched grumble vibrating from her throat.

The kids stopped and looked down at her, the rabbit returning an annoyed glare in return; as if saying: 'Get on with it!'

"He…hehehe…Hahahaha!" Small giggles escaped Jiro's mouth, quickly evolving into full-blown laughter which was accompanied by chuckles from Midoriya.

"I *chuckle* can't believe I got scolded by a r-*chuckle*-abbit…!" Kyoka heaved between fits of laughter. "Let's just say we are both sorry?" she asked after they both calmed down, "It happened a long time ago anyway."

Midoriya nodded his head up and down, a small confirming hum escaping his throat.

"Glad we worked that out!" Kyoka sat down on the second chair, "We need to start working if we want to finish with the homework today."

The girl opened up her bags and dropped a large pile of books atop Midoriya's desk, an impressive thump accompanying their landing.

They spent the next couple of hours helping Midoriya catch up on the schoolwork, Kyoka explaining everything he had trouble understand. Occasionally, one of them would take a snack or drink a sip of juice from the tray, leaving all the cut-up carrot sticks alone for Mimi to indulge.

Neither was aware that Inko and Hisashi Midoriya would sometimes peek into the room through the crack they left in the doorway, spying on both kids as they solved questions and held small talks.

It was on one of those spying-sessions that Inko's phone began to quietly vibrate, notifying the woman that she had a message. She opened Line [4] and read the message with a small smile, quickly typing her reply, and pocketing the device.

_Yukimra Aguri: Did it work?_

_Midoriya Inko: Like magic._

* * *

"Shuzumu failed to attend today's meeting, Madame," Kraven told his boss, speaking in Mandarin.

Madame Gao nodded her head, staring at the man's face on her screen "Yes. And he also failed to inform us beforehand, nor had he attempted on making contact since the meeting ended four hours ago. According to protocol, we should consider his branch as compromised."

"Yes, according to protocol… The real question is whether or not it's true." Kraven raised a skeptical brow, "You and I both suspected he has been plotting something behind our backs, and it was you who decided that every action he takes should be taken with a side of salt."

"True." Madame Gao agreed, "However, even if he did plan on betraying us, he wouldn't have done it like this. For all his faults, Shuzumu was no fool. He wouldn't have done anything to raise any alarm bells; most likely opting instead to strike from the shadows while pretending to be clueless. Considering this, I truly believe there is a high probability the Japanese branch is compromised."

"I see…" Kraven uttered, his expression thoughtful. "How do you want to handle this, then? If Shuzumu and the Japanese branch are gone, then we lost our footing in the country. Should we prepare to reestablish our presence there?"

"No." Was the woman's immediate answer. "The Japanese authorities would be on high alert for any of our activities if they really found out about or branch there. It would be unwise to go back so soon… Besides, the Japanese branch had hardly ever been profitable, I see no reason to rebuild it at the moment."

There was a moment of silence once the woman finished her explanation, the two leaders each stewing in thought.

"Though I am curious, Kraven." Madame Gao whispered in a low voice, "Just what Shuzumu planned to do behind our backs."

* * *

The evening soon fell on the Midoriya household, the day coming to its conclusion alongside it. The small family currently occupied their apartment's small living room, the lights of the dusk painting the room an orange hue.  
The family's son sat on the green couch in the room's middle, gently petting his pet rabbit on the head. His expression was the most relaxed it had been in a week, much to his parent's joy and relief. Inko and Hisashi were also seated on the couch, watching the news whilst they mouthed a conversation about their boy.

Thanks to Jiro, who had left an hour earlier, Izuku was in the best mood he had been since he woke up in the hospital. And while he wasn't anywhere near his usual bubbly self, it was a step in the right direction.

This was the best chance they had all week, and they would be damned if they missed it.

 _"You do it!"_ Inko mouthed to her husband, watching her periphery to see if Izuku was still distracted.

 _" **You** need to start, Inko!"_ Hisashi mouthed back, _"You know you're better than me at this!"_

 _"Don't give me that excuse Hisashi! You're his father!"_ Inko bit back.

 _"And you're his mother! I knew we should've got his grandparents involved!"_ The husband retaliated.

 _"It's too late for that now!"_ Inko shot back, _"Both of our parents are out of town and we can't wait for any more than we already did with him!"_

The two held each other's gaze for a bit longer, silently fighting for dominance.

Naturally, being the wife in the argument, Inko won.

Hisashi sucked in a breath, he was a fool for not knowing it would end like this. "Heeyyyy, my little heroooo…" he called for his son, purposely heightening his voice.

Both parents noticed the boy's body twitch a bit when Hisashi called him 'hero' as if Izuku found himself unworthy to be called that. Nevertheless, the son slowly turned his head to look at his father, the boy's solemn expression alien for the patriarch, "Yes, dad?"

"Huhhh…" Hisashi droned, not having an idea of what to say exactly, _'Shit!'_.

"How are you feeling?"

Hisashi didn't need to see to know that his wife was facepalming. _'Please! Cut me some slack Inko! You know I'm not good at this!'_ The black-haired man thought miserably.

"M'kay…" Was all that Izuku said in response, his gaze shifting back to Mimi who looked at the father, unimpressed.

 _"You're losing him, Hisashi!"_ Inko mouthed to her husband before taking a deep breath. _"We can't screw this up! This is the best chance we had all week to make Izuku open up!"_

 _"What do you want me to say, then?!"_ Hisashi asked.

 _"We need to approach this carefully..."_ The matriarch whispered, _"We need to build up a conversation before we ask him…"_

Both wore a contemplative expression on their faces for a moment, wondering just how they were going to engage the boy. In the background, the TV was still on, showing footage from the debut of a pro-hero. It showed the scene of a de-railed train in one of the many wards of Tokyo, a few of its cars dangling over the edge of the elevated tracks.

Swinging up and around the train was a young man who was dressed in a blue jumpsuit, his gauntlets and boots seemingly made of wood. Vines made of lumber held the man in the air as he sailed, coming in and out of the wreck with civilians carried on his back.

Hisashi got an idea.

"Hey, Izuku," He called for his son again, "What do you think about this new hero?"

The boy's head perked up towards the TV, small sparkles kindling in his eyes. He watched transfixed as the new pro carried more and more people away from danger and towards safety, not stopping for a moment as he somersaulted in the air like a professional acrobat.

"So cool…" Izuku murmured, his hands slightly twitching with the instinct to grab a notebook and write everything down. The two adults both noticed this and smiled, their son was beginning to resemble himself again.

Even Mimi was intrigued by the hero as he jumped about. Though, in her case, it was probably the yummy roses that dangled from the hero's belt that got her attention.

Now having a topic, the two parents immediately capitalized and dove into a deep conversation with their son, dumping every bit of hero trivia they knew to keep it going. They talked about the new hero's, Kamui Woods', quirk for ten minutes straight, from strength, weaknesses, uses, to cooperative potential with other heroes (Though it was admittedly Izuku who did most of the talking). Then they moved on to another hero, giving her the same treatment Kamui Woods got before moving on to the next.

Then the next after that.

And after that.

And after that.

By the time they got to their sixth hero of the evening, Izuku could've been mistaken for his usual self if not for all of his bandages. The boy mumbled out a storm of quirk analysis, completely incomprehensible for anyone who wasn't his parents.

It was at that moment that Inko and Hisashi were ready.

"*Sigh* Izuku, there is something we wanted to talk to you about…" Hisashi told his son after they were finished with the analysis on Edgeshot, his tone more serious than before.

The boy, sensing the change in attitude, worriedly glanced at his father as he brought his knees to his chest, curling in one himself.

"You're not in any trouble, sweetie." Inko soothed, sitting closer to her son and starting to stroke his fluffy curls, "We just want you to tell us something; We're worried about you."

Now the boy knew exactly what this was about, his solemn expression returning with vengeance. "I don't want to talk about it." He made his way to get up and run to his room but was stopped by a firm hand on the shoulder.

"Please, sweetie…" Inko urged, "We promise not to bother you anymore after you tell us." She pleaded, hoping to buy him over. "But we **need** to know, you can't just stay cooped up in your room forever. So please… be our little hero and tell us what happened?"

Inko didn't care that her eyes began to damp as she talked. She didn't care about the lump in her throat that was growing bigger by the second. Nor did she care that the same was probably happening to her husband behind her.

No. All she cared about at the moment was the boy that she held in her arms, his chubby cheeks cupped in her hands. Izuku stared into his mother's eyes without saying a word, maintaining eye contact in silence.

* * *

"FUCK!"

Aruku Kūki cursed as he stumbled, his tubby body falling to the ground. "Ughhh…" The man groaned, struggling to get up from the dirty pavement. He dusted his clothes and took a breath, scanning the area around him for any threats.

Aruku was in a deserted street at the edge of a small nameless town somewhere in the Izu peninsula. The narrow asphalt road was squashed between two rows of run-down houses, their paint peeled and chunks missing out of their grey roofs. Apart from him, no living soul could be seen in the area, only the occasional bird flying above the power lines.

The fat man leaned on his knees as he panted, savoring the precious oxygen that flew through his lungs.

The past week had not been kind to the man.

After he had escaped the Tōu Liè Zhě's Japanese Headquarters (with many people trying to stop him or calling him a traitor), Aruku was left alone to wander about the Izu peninsula. Having no supplies, money, or any helpful connections left him with little options other than skipping from one small town to the next; nabbing whatever food or money he could steal from unsuspecting residents.

It was absolutely humiliating.

He was once the second in command to one of the largest criminal organizations in the country, his words amongst his men almost as absolute as the big man himself.

It was bad enough that he was almost crippled three years ago, rendering him with the physique of someone likely to die of heart failure in their late forties; Gaining multiple bad habits along the way and losing the respect of almost everyone he knew.

Honestly, he used to think he hit rock bottom, destined to live the rest of his days as the branch's laughingstock.

Yet here he found himself. In the middle of nowhere, stealing from grandmas just to get by and fill his stomach.

The fat man groaned into his hands in frustration, cursing once more the **stupid** green kid that in one night ruined his life. It was because of the brat that he had nowhere to go now. The Tōu Liè Zhě was through, with it going all the resources, safe houses, and comrades he used to have. Finding another group to join was out of the question too. He had nothing to offer them, and he knew only a fool would take him in as he is now.

And working for a fool was never a good idea.

Continuing to contemplate his situation, Aruku wandered aimlessly through the town, soon growing tired. The man sat down on the sidewalk, his back pressed against a fence as he went through every option he thought available.

 _'Maybe I should go straight…?'_ Aruku snorted once the thought crossed his mind, _'Yeah, right. Like I could do that with my record…'_

The man slumped, burying his head in his hands and letting his thin hair curl around his fat fingers.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but he couldn't bring himself to care at all.

He didn't care that the sun had long since sat, living the faulty streetlights his only source of light. He didn't care that the chilly wind penetrated his thin clothing, causing his body to instinctively shiver. He was numb to the occasional passerby who went through the street; not caring at all if the man or woman whose gaze lingered on him for just a second was one of pity or disgust.

So naturally, he didn't react when a tall man stopped and stood in front of him. He didn't care that the well-dressed man was smiling at him like a predator nor did he care about the fact that the man extended a hand towards his head. Only once the man gripped his face did Aruku looked up at him, finding himself staring at a white-haired man with sharp facial features that radiated the most potent killing intent he had ever felt.

Suddenly, he did care.

But it was too late.

"GGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

Izuku didn't know what to do.

The boy sat there, staring into his parents' concerned eyes with his own damp ones as a ruminating storm raged within him.

He didn't want to talk about it. He really didn't. Just **thinking** about what happened made him want to curl up and bawl his eyes out until there was nothing left in him. The villains' faces, the fighting for his life, the animals, Chima's parents… Limp and lifeless… Those images still haunted him, whether he was lucid or dreaming.

And all **that** was when he fought with his life to push those thoughts away.

But to **talk** about it?!

To verbally describe what he had gone through? Willingly letting those memories resurface to the forefront of his mind before he uttered that horror word by word?

He wasn't ready for that… Probably never will be…

It should've been an obvious answer.

To shut himself off again; run to his room and hide beneath the safety of his blankets until he was sure his mom and dad would drop it off.

 **That** was the easy solution.

Yet he didn't move from his spot, staying seated on the couch with his mother cupping his cheeks.

Because there was a part of him that **wanted** him to keep talking.

Earlier with Jiro, and now with his parents; when he talked to them, he was the happiest he's been the whole week. Just talking about school, heroes, or whatever came to mind; focusing on the ones before him was what made everything that worried him fade away. He felt lighter thanks to them, the memories that threatened to resurface resting for just a moment, granting him peace as long as the conversation kept on going.

He wanted that feeling to remain.

He wanted that pressure in the back of his head to be gone, and he wanted the ache in his heart to disappear. And while he wasn't sure if they would ever go away… He at least knew that he could forget about them… even if only for a moment.

Which was where his dilemma laid.

_"Please, sweetie…" Inko urged, "We promise not to bother you anymore after you tell us." She promised, hoping to buy him over. "But we **need** to know, you can't just stay cooped up in your room forever. So please… be our little hero and tell us what happened?"_

That was the question which racked his brain. Should he just tell them once and let it be over, or should he keep it all bottled in as it was?

All that went on in his mind as his parents stared silently at him, trying to get an inkling of an idea of what he thought through his expression. For a few moments, one could hear the sound of a pin drop in the small apartment; even the sounds of the outside world not permeating the concrete walls.

It was with bated breaths that both mother and father watched their son let out a small sigh, slumping his shoulder. The eight-year-old swallowed hard, ridding his mouth of moisture before locking eyes with the two adults, clutching Mimi a bit closer to him.

"O-okay…" He whispered, his voice subdued and strained, "I'll tell you… everything…"

And so, he did.

All Hisashi and Inko could do was gawk with their mouths agape as their son recalled the events of the past three years.

He spoke of his times with Chima. Talking about how he played with him every day, shared Inko's food with him, and trained his quirk with him. A small smile graced the boy's lips as he talked about his best friend, recalling all the good memories they shared one after the other.

Then he told them about the underground caverns. Izuku's eyes sparkled as he talked about that ecosystem that no man had ever seen before. He described every small detail about the cavern: the magnificent stone arches and columns that dotted the cavern; the raging river that split the cave's floor; the teeth-like stalactites and stalagmites; the crystal-clear underground lake; the hot springs; the green glowing crystals; and the animals.

He talked about the animals for more than an hour.

Even when researching quirks and heroes his parents seldom seen him so animated. Each new beast their son described became grander and grander in comparison to the previous. From the colorful insects that flew through the cavern; the small rodents that scurried their way on the cave's floor; the reptiles and fish who called the river and lake home; to the gigantic mammals who held powers that would cause some heroes to become envious.

He described each of the animals with a wide smile on his face, his eyes sparkling in youthful wonder as if he had just encountered them for the first time.

But, when he reached the point of the events that night one week ago, that smile, and enthusiasm, began to fade.

All the joy he accumulated from recalling the good times left his heart as he told them both what had happened.

He told them how two men snuck up on him and Chima and knocked them out, kidnapping them and throwing them both into cold metal boxes.

He told them how he got out and broke Mimi free, his rage at the villains palpable in his voice.

Tears cascaded down his face as he spoke about the battle in the pens, every sentence he spoke accompanied by a broken hiccup that devolved into full-blown bawling once he was at the story's end.

The sun had long since sat once he was finished with the tale, leaving the Midoriya family in the dark as the two adults were still hugging their crying son.

The only light in the room came from the still turned-on TV, and the mere thought of getting up and turning the lights on was currently alien to either Hisashi or Inko.

They just held their son as he cried for the longest time and loudest volume they had ever seen. The boy sniffled and hiccupped into their stomachs, tears and snot damping the fabric of their shirts.

Eventually, the boy calmed down. Sapped of any energy, Izuku's sniffles turned to soft snores as his breathing evened out and the arms he held around his parents relaxed.

Only when both were sure he was asleep did they break the hug.

Slowly, they lowered Izuku's head and rested him on the couch, tear stains still on his cheeks and his nose runny. Mimi, who until now was watching the family hug, climbed up on the boy's chest and rested her head against his jaw; allowing the boy to instinctively wrap his arms around her.

Both adults were lost for words.

They sat there, staring buffaloed at their sleeping son, their expressions frozen and minds abuzz.

"I-I can't believe this…" Inko muttered, her voice hollow. It was an empty statement, and both knew it.

As much as they wanted it to be so, the way the story was told left them with little room for doubt.

They tried to come up with a way to explain how their son made the story up, each line of thought leading to a dead end.

There was no way the child was faking it; his reaction was way too genuine for it to be so. Even the world's best actor could not stage the sort of breakdown their son just had.

It couldn't be a fixture of imagination or delirium, either; even though they both wanted it to be. Because Hallucinations were just that, they weren't real. If he really did imagine it all they could merely explain to him that it was all a bad dream and get on with their happy lives.

But they couldn't. Because it was all real.

Izuku's injuries were real.

Mimi was real.

And Chima, whose name sounded familiar to Inko, was probably also real.

Hallucinations, no matter how realistically and detailed were described, could not change reality.

They couldn't injure their son like this, and they couldn't materialize Mimi into existence.

But what hurt them most, especially Inko, was how much that story made sense.

It explained way too much, too many pieces fell into exactly the right place.

Inko recalled how adamant her son was about not letting his 'friends' come over. How he tended to tense up whenever Inko suggested the idea. He would always come up with a half-baked excuse about why they couldn't, immediately rushing out the door to 'meet with them'.

She remembered the parent-teacher conferences with Yukimura-sensei. How Izuku's teacher would talk about her concern of her son's lack of friends in class; and how she raised a brow when Inko replied that her son had plenty of friends that he _"Hangs out with all the time"..._

Hisashi thought back to the few instances when he was home these past three years. Noticing now that his son was missing most of the day then, _"He's off with his friends"_ , his wife told him. Izuku would always come back near sunset, a bit dirty, but with a big smile on his face. He used to think nothing of it in the past. If not maybe a bit disappointed that he couldn't spend the day with his son.

All these idiosyncrasies that Izuku showcased these past three years made it almost impossible to deny, and so, they had to reluctantly accept what happened as truth.

"All this time… And I didn't even **notice**?" Inko whispered, her pupils shrunken in horror.

For **three years** her son led a secret life behind her back, _'It was right under my nose the whole time… what kind of parent fails like this?!'_ She covered her mouth with her hands as she once more stared at the many bandages that her son had, a grim realization dawning on her.

"This is all my fault…"

"Don't say that!" Two hands grasped at her shoulders following the abrupt yell. Looking up and away from her son, Inko found her husband staring at her, a scowl on his face.

"You had nothing to do with this!" He exclaimed, his voice loud and aggrieved. "You didn't do this to him! Those villains did!"

"It's easy for you to say!" Inko shot back, her tone uncharacteristically hostile. "You aren't around enough to take any of the blame! You don't see Izuku nearly as much as I do!" Hisashi, previously startled by his wife's tone, recoiled back even further. "You couldn't possibly have noticed anything out of the ordinary with Izuku since you spend most of your time in America! Most of the year you aren't even here!"

Inko coughed and panted after she was finished with her rant, the weight of what she said slowly dawning on her.

Inko wasn't sure what drove her to yell at him like that. Most likely it was the current state of her son, but she couldn't help but think that that wasn't all there was to it. Perhaps there were other lingering elements to this, namely her rooted frustration that her husband was away for most of the time, leaving her to raise Izuku by herself.

Whichever the case was, she had said what she said, and her husband heard her loud and clear.

Hisashi was staring at her with blown-wide eyes and shrunk pupils, horror evident on his face. He appeared as if someone just shot her or Izuku in front of him, intangible stupors escaping his mouth a mile a minute and shaking as if left out in the rain.

Her words did a number on him, hitting him like a sledgehammer. Hisashi collapsed onto the couch with a thud, cupping his face in his hands.

"Honey?" Inko whispered in a shaky voice, having calmed down. "I-I'm sorry Hisashi…" She brushed a hesitant hand through his curls, the same way she usually did to her son, "I don't know what came over me… I-".

"No." Hisashi cut her off, shaking his head. "It's okay… You don't need to apologize."

Neither said a word for a while longer. Each of them busy digesting the happenings of the evening.

.

.

.

Eventually, it was Hisashi who broke the silence with a three-word sentence, "So what now?"

A simple question really, easily answerable in most cases.

Unfortunately, this was not one of them.

Both adults turned to their son, who surprisingly remained deep in slumber through their shouts. Inko gently caressed his curls, "I… I don't know… there's so much we need to consider…"

Their first thought of course was telling the police, they didn't want the villains who hurt their boy to be roaming free after all. But soon, complications arose with their plan. They were both doubtful the police would believe their son's story so readily. They didn't know Izuku as they did, they would either think this was a prank or that their family was delusional. Not to mention that besides vague descriptions of a few of the villains, they had nothing substantial to report. They didn't have names or the location of their headquarters, so any credibility that might've given them was thrown out the window.

"What about all the quirked animals?" Hisashi asked once they had discarded the police idea, "Our son literally spent three years in the company of wild animals; **superpowered** wild animals."

Inko nodded along. Neither parent was too fond of the way their son chose to spend his time, no matter how safe Izuku made it sound like. "It's not like we can stop him," She admitted with a sigh, " ... even though I would prefer it that way..."

Both husband and wife let out a yawn at the same time. Glancing at the clock told them it was already past midnight, way past time they all go to sleep. "We should probably call it a night, Inko." Hisashi yawned, carefully picking up his sleeping son and rabbit in his arms. "I'll tuck him in, you can go ahead and take a shower."

Inko nodded, "Okay. But we still aren't finished with this discussion."

"I know." Her husband called back, already halfway towards Izuku's room. "But I think that whatever we choose, Izuku should there when we make the decision."

* * *

***Two weeks later***

"Are you sure you want to come with me?" Izuku asked for maybe the hundredth time today, "It will take us hours just to get there."

In a certain clearing of woods in a certain park in Musutafu, three people and a rabbit now stood. Two adults accompanied Izuku and Mimi in the place once reserved solely for him and Chima.

Both mother and father were now busy double-checking they brought everything they needed while their son took off his shoes.

"For the last time Izuku, yes we're sure." Inko stated as she fastened her backpack into place, "You are not going down there without us, understood?"

"Yes, mom." The boy sighed, reluctance evident on his face. He still wasn't sure it was a good idea to bring them with him, he didn't know how the others would react to them. But they both insisted, going so far as to say they won't allow him to go there again until he took them with him, to _'make sure it was safe'_.

He looked at the dark hole on the hill's side, taking a breath before securing Mimi on his shoulder, "Let's go."

The adults nodded and followed their son into the dark, equipped with only flashlights to combat it.

They soon learned that their son wasn't kidding when he said it would take hours to get to their destination. The dark tunnels they traversed seemed to stretch on for forever, sometimes branching off from one another and creating the world's largest and most complicated maze. Even the sheer size of the tunnels eventually got boring after walking for so long.

"We're almost there." They heard Izuku say after what felt like six or so hours of walking. They didn't know how he could tell, seeing as that dark void at the tunnel's visible edge remained as black as it was. But, soon enough, viridian light began to become visible, growing in intensity as they got closer to their goal.

When they finally emerged from the tunnels after what felt like an eternity, all Inko and Hisashi Midoriya could do was gawk at the sight before them.

Giant pillars of stone and rock rose from the cave's unseen floor in the dozens, some reaching all the way up to the ceiling while others stopped midway, creating earthen platforms of various heights so large one could build houses on them.

Archways made of stone connected these platforms to one another, creating a web of connecting pathways that sometimes branched off into a tunnel that led outside of the cavern. Green moss and crystals covered just about every square meter of the space. Engulfing the walls, pillars, and ceiling as well as illuminating the entire subterranean area in majestic emerald color.

Sparkling waterfalls emerged from holes near the cave's ceiling, pushing streams of water through the crevices of a forest of stalagmites and coming together to form a small river. The river flowed down through those crevices, feeding into a majestic underground lake, its waters shimmering in emerald light and its rocky beaches the only place on the cave's floor that lacked the stalagmites' presence.

It was by far the most beautiful place they had ever seen, looking more akin to something out of a fairy tale than real life. They could probably stare at it for hours and still not be completely satisfied.

A small giggle broke them through their trance. They glanced down and saw Izuku chuckle at their dumbfounded expressions; they both chuckled along with him, imagining how silly they must have looked.

"Okay, Izuku." Hisashi said, "Do you know where he is?"

The boy's smile faded. "Yes, I think I do. Follow me."

The boy led them through the cavern with the confidence of a veteran tour guide. He never once stopped to contemplate which stone bridge they should take or what earth pillar they should not go on. Slowly but surely, they climbed down towards the cavern's floor and soon found themselves at the shores of the underground lake.

"We're going there," Izuku explained, pointing to the entrance of a small tunnel at the other side of the underground beach.

His parents nodded, beginning to tread through the beach with their son.

But before any of them made it far, a thunderous roar echoed through the air.

"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHGGGGG!"

Both Hisashi and Inko screamed in fear once they turned their heads and saw a massive beast hurtle towards them. It appeared to be a giant Badger; with razor-sharp claws reminiscent of a mole as well as a long, naked tail. The creature had bloody murder in its eyes as it got closer to them, flashing teeth sharp enough to bite them all in half.

"Stop!" A familiar voice shouted.

Both dumbfounded parents looked down and saw Izuku standing between them and the charging beast, his arms outstretched as if to block it. On his shoulder, Mimi also appeared to be on high alert; She was crouching down as if prepared to jump, her ears were pressed against her back as she growled at the much larger creature.

Inko shrieked once she realized what her son was doing, "Izuku what are you d-?!" only to cut herself off in astonishment as the monster stopped in front of the boy.

"They're with me!" The boy yelled, unwavering in the face of the towering beast.

The Badgermole suddenly became hesitant, taking a step back before growling at Inko and Hisashi again.

"GO AWAY!" Izuku screamed, stomping the ground and creating a small earthquake for good measure.

The Badgermole then turned tail, leaving the small family alone.

Both adults clutched their racing hearts in relief now that it was over. "Sorry about that," Izuki apologized in the name of the Badgermole, "That's why I didn't want to bring you here. I was afraid that they might attack you."

"A valid reason..." Hisashi whispered, still reeling from the experience.

Luckily, after that, no other animal disturbed them as they made their way through the cave. They soon entered the small tunnel Izuku pointed to earlier, descending deeper underground.

On the other side of the tunnel, they found a large grotto about the size of their apartment building. No natural light from crystals illuminated the space before them, forcing the Midoriya's to use their flashlights in order to see anything.  
Boring gray rocks formed the walls and ceiling of the chamber, claw marks evident on their surface and a clear indication the space was dug out. The ground here was brown and dead, its texture flaky as it crumbed between Izuku's bare toes.

Aside from them, only one living being was present inside the cave. A Badgermole, about half the size of the one that almost attacked the boy's parent. It laid on the ground at the back end of the cave, seemingly staring at a patch of ground in longing.

"Mom? Dad?" Izuku whispered, "Can you watch over Mimi for me?"

The two nodded, unsure of what their child wanted to do, but nonetheless taking the small rabbit from him.

They remained in place with Mimi in Inko's arms as their son walked deeper into the dead cave, coming closer and closer to the laying Badgermole.

"Hi, Chima…" Izuku said once he got close enough, sitting beside the large animal and bringing his knees to his chest. "How are you feeling?"

The Badgermole didn't respond, not showcasing any sign he had even heard the boy. Chima just kept his focus on the patch of earth in front of him, absently treading the clay-soil with his paws. That patch he was staring at stuck out from the rest of the grotto's floor. It was a bit uneven, the topsoil less compact, and gravel that was supposed to be on a lower lair could be found on the surface.

The boy didn't need his seismic sense to know what was buried there; Nor had he needed to be here when they lowered the bodies.

He brushed a hand through the fur on top of Chima's head, frowning a bit at all the dust it had kicked into the air once he made contact.

That didn't stop him from stroking, though.

The youngling remained unresponsive, staring into nothing and everything at the same time.

Behind them, with nothing to do, Inko and Hisashi swayed their flashlight back and forth like spotlights in boredom, illuminating different parts of the dull grotto.

One of these rays of light grazed past Chima's left paw. That was when Izuku saw it. Stretched across the appendage was a scar, a violent red clashing against pale pink.

It was another parament reminder of that night three weeks ago, joined by the one hidden under the compression sleeve on Izuku's left forearm.

Instinctively, the boy stretched out his hand and touched the scar, a throb going through the one he had in sympathy.

That action got through to Chima.

The Badgermole jolted in place, unable to ignore the touch on the sensitive skin. He whipped his head to growl at the offender, only to have his snout tackled into a hug by a familiar boy.

Chima yelped in surprise. He didn't notice Izuku was there.

In fact, he didn't pay much attention to anything at all these past three weeks. All he did was lay there, in the dark, his mind blank and devoid of thought.

Pearly tears drifted down his snout, whether they were his or Izuku's didn't matter. He only cared about the warmth he now felt, the first speck of it since that night.

"I missed you Chima…" The boy whispered into his forehead, still hugging him with all the strength he had.

"Let's get out of here," Izuku told him, a forced but genuine smile on his face, "You can't just stay cooped up in here forever."

The two turned to leave; Chima only now noticing the two people at the grotto's entrance, before getting stopped abruptly by Izuku.

"Wait!" He called, "I almost forgot!"

Turning back to the unmarked graves, Izuku squatted down and placed a palm to the ground. Under his command, the grainy and flaky earth compressed into itself, creating a solid slab that the boy swiftly picked up and planted firmly into the ground.

After one final check to make sure it won't topple, Izuku traced the slab with a finger, leaving behind indents as he went.

"Okay! I'm done." he proclaimed after a minute or two. He then joined a perplexed Chima, the two now making their way back to the grotto's entrance, "Now, I need to introduce you to someone!"

The slab of earth was soon left behind by itself in the darkness of the grotto, a now unreadable inscription left with it:

_Anakoro & Koguma_

_Parents and Heroes_

* * *

**BOOK ONE: THE END**

**結束**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] - Mimi - The Japanese word for 'ear'.
> 
> [2] - A gently chattering of a rabbit's teeth is a common sign that it is content, such as when they are being petted.
> 
> [3] - From what I gathered from my research for the chapter, unless you present concrete evidence that someone was kidnapped in Japan, their police won't actively search for them. If you want the missing person located there, you'll have to call a P.I.
> 
> In the E.O.I universe, thanks to heroes lightening the workload on the police, locating a missing person is now their responsibility.
> 
> [4] - Line is a freeware app for instant communications on electronic devices, similar to WhatsApp. It's the most popular social messenger app in Japan, as well as other countries such as Thailand and Taiwan.
> 
> [5] - Anakoro & Koguma: The names are both a different combination of the Japanese word for 'Badger' (Anaguma) and 'heart' (Kokoro). 
> 
> Update: As a celebration of finishing Book 1, I have officially launched an Era of Izuku discord server.
> 
> You can expect to find there news about future projects, progress reports on chapters, and illustrations made by other readers.
> 
> Hope to see you there!
> 
> Link: https://discord.gg/DKC5WMB9
> 
> BOOK TWO: FIRE: COMING SOON


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